Nine killed in Taiwan pub blaze

Nine people were killed and 12 injured in a blaze that gutted a pub in central Taiwan early on Sunday, firefighters and police said.

Nine people were killed and 12 injured in a blaze that gutted a pub in central Taiwan early on Sunday, firefighters and police said.

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Initial investigations showed that the fire -- one of the worst in several years in Taiwan -- may have been caused when a dancer was using sparklers during a show at the pub in Taichung city.

The blaze was swiftly extinguished, but firemen discovered nine charred bodies in the building.

Twelve people were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment and all but one were released later, a firefighter said.

The dancer and the pub owner were detained for questioning.