20110316 Report says Hu shares responsibility for blaze

Report says Hu shares responsibility for blaze

CUTTING COMMENT:Jason Hu said he was so upset by the pub fire that he wanted to ‘hurt himself,’ but that the Control Yuan would decide on his ultimate responsibility

By Rich Chang / Staff Reporter, with CNA
　

Two Democratic Progressive Party councilors, left, hold up posters in the Greater Taichung City Council chamber yesterday to protest Taichung Mayor Jason Hu’s report on the March 6 ALA Pub fire, while Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) councilors, right, display posters calling on them to be quiet.
Photo: CNA

Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強) should share responsibility for the poorly supervised safety inspections of a nightclub that was recently engulfed by a deadly fire, an investigation into the blaze concluded.

A report covering the findings of the investigation, conducted by the Greater Taichung City Government, was released yesterday and recommended that 30 city officials, mostly from the city’s Department of Urban Development, be given administrative punishments.

However, it did not specify how the mayor should be disciplined.

Hu has been under pressure to take political responsibility for the fire — the result of a fire-juggling act that went wrong and left nine people dead on March 6.

“The incident that took nine young lives saddens me and led me to so much self-reproach that I’ve wanted to hurt myself,” Hu said yesterday.

Greater Taichung Councilor Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) of the Democratic Progressive Party retorted that “Hu should hurt himself politically by stepping down from the mayoral post.”

In response, Hu said his political responsibility will be determined by the Control Yuan, whose members have begun an investigation into possible misconduct by civil servants.

The city government’s investigation report said Huang Chong-dian (黃崇典), head of the Department of Urban Development, should be dismissed from his post. Greater Taichung Deputy Mayor Hsiao Chia-chi (蕭家旗) and Department of Economic Development chief Chu Hui-lan (朱蕙蘭) should also take responsibility, the report said, but added that their executive and legal responsibility should be decided by the Control Yuan and judicial authorities.

The trio had tendered their resignations after the fire.

Hu yesterday evening approved Huang and Chu’s resignations, but decided Hsiao should stay on his post.

The ALA Pub had passed 21 safety inspections in the previous five years despite having flammable foam in its ceiling and walls and difficult-to-access emergency exits.

The investigation report said the incident suggested the Department of Urban Development had neglected its duty to conduct full safety inspections over the years.

The probe said previous inspections had discovered that the nightclub had used flammable materials, but no action had been taken. The nightclub was also illegally located in a residential district.

The investigation added that in 2008 the club was forced to close because of its location in a residential area, but reopened five months later.

While Greater Taichung police informed the urban development department of the matter, it allowed the club to operate until the blaze took place, the report said.