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Fright after fire: Taiwan water park explosion aftermath in pics
More than 500 people were injured, over 80 of them seriously, in an explosion at a water park outside Taiwan's capital Taipei on Saturday after coloured powder being sprayed onto a crowd ignited, officials said.
More than 500 people were injured, over 80 of them seriously, in an explosion at a water park outside Taiwan's capital Taipei on Saturday after coloured powder being sprayed onto a crowd ignited, officials said.
"Our initial understanding is this explosion and fire... was caused by the powder spray. It could have been due to the heat of the lights on the stage," said a spokesperson for the New Taipei City fire department.
Here's a photo essay on the incident.
A man carries an injured victim. The number of people injured in the fire rose to 516 on Sunday, government officials said, with more than 180 still in intensive care. (Central News Agency via AP)
People carry an injured victim. The blaze, which broke out around 8.30pm at the Formosa Fun Coast water park on the outskirts of the capital, Taipei, is suspected to have been caused by an explosion of the powder, local government official Lin Chieh-yu said.(Reuters)
A person helps an injured victim. In the immediate aftermath of the explosion, rescuers treated hundreds of people, most of them aged between 20 and 30, wearing wet swimsuits and lying on inflatable plastic doughnuts. Television showed images of people running from sky-high flames. (Reuters)
In this screen grab taken from ETTV, injured concert spectators are treated after the explosion. Soldiers, army vehicles and medical services joined the rescue effort, while hospitals in four municipal precincts, along with Taipei, are treating sufferers. (ETTV via AP)
In this screen grab taken from UGC by Apple Daily Taiwan, concert goers run as a fire starts at the Formosa Water Park. The amusement park has been closed temporarily, it said on its website on Sunday. Taipei has sweltered in temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) in recent weeks. (UCG by Apple Daily Taiwan via AP)
Police investigators inspect the stage area after the explosion. No death has yet been reported, but victims of the incident suffered burns to the limbs, with some passing out from the pain while others had burned clothes stuck to their skin, media reports and pictures showed. (AP Photo)
Read: Taiwan water park fire: 500 injured in accidental explosion
