Midnight Explosion in New Taipei Leaves Five Hospitalized

An explosion in New Taipei's The fire department noted that the two restaurants utilize the same gas equipment and Banqiao district in the early hours of December 8 injured five people. Three of the injured individuals were hospitalized, though all injuries were minor. 

The epicenter of the explosion was in a dining area shared by two restaurants on the second floor of a building on Chongqing Street, with the total damaged area estimated at around 174 square meters. Local firefighters confirmed that the interior of both restaurants was almost destroyed, with the surrounding streets littered with debris. 

The two restaurants closed at around 9:30 at night, with the last employee leaving a half hour later. The area exploded at around 12:50 a.m. the next morning. Police soon cordoned off the area while checking for trapped individuals and any possible gas leaks. The timing of the incident suggested a gas pipe or related equipment was not properly shut down after closing. 

While the local fire department has not yet determined the exact cause, it noted that the two restaurants utilize the same gas equipment and that firefighters had discovered three large and one small gas cylinders in the stairwell.