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Politicians demand answers for blaze
BLAME GAME:Greater Taichung councilors from the DPP called
on Mayor Jason Hu to step down to take responsibility for what they said was lax
enforcement of safety regulations
By Vincent Y. Chao / Staff Reporter
A public memorial service is held yesterday for the nine victims of a Sunday
morning blaze at the ALA pub in Greater Taichung.
Photo: Tsai Shu-yuan, Taipei Times
Lawmakers at the local and national levels were scrambling yesterday to find
answers to a deadly blaze in Greater Taichung and laid blame on municipal
authorities for allowing the ALA pub to pass 21 safety inspections in the past
five years.
Greater Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強) apologized for the Sunday morning fire
that killed nine people and injured 12.
Investigators have uncovered evidence showing multiple inconsistencies with the
fire safety checks.
Greater Taichung councilors from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) held up
banners at the city council calling for a thorough investigation.
Despite Hu’s apology, councilors called on him to step down, pointing to the lax
enforcement they said had contributed to the fire.
“By ignoring public safety and treating human lives carelessly ... the mayor and
[related] agency heads should step down,” DPP Greater Taichung Councilor Chang
Liao Wan-chien (張廖萬堅) said.
Councilors from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) called the request mere
political posturing, while Hu said it was too early to make political decisions
pending a more thorough investigation.
“I do apologize and I will not escape responsibility,” Hu said.
The blaze has drawn parallels to a devastating explosion in 1995 at the city’s
popular Wellcome -Western Cuisine, which claimed 64 lives.
Then-Taichung mayor Lin Po-jung (林柏榕) was reprimanded by the Control Yuan and
forced to step down for six months after it was found that city officials had
failed to crack down on fire regulation violations.
DPP lawmakers say local agencies turned a blind eye in allowing the ALA pub and
other venues to pass fire safety checks.
“Everyone knows this entire street is filled with pubs and not beverage stores
... Who would believe that there wasn’t some kind of kickback scandal here?” DPP
Legislator Yeh Yi-jin (葉宜津) asked.
Greater Taichung Prosecutor Wu Tso-yen (吳祚延) said prosecutors would investigate
whether city officials may have played a role in the incident. At press time, no
official had been questioned by prosecutors.
Wang Ming-che (王銘哲), the operator of the bar, was detained by prosecutors
yesterday, while Chu Chuan-yi (朱傳毅), the dancer who is believed to have started
the fire during a torch performance, was released on NT$300,000 bail.
Prosecutors said the two would be charged with accidental homicide.
Prosecutors said Chu told investigators the type of torch he used during his
“victory firework” performance was too weak to set clothes on fire, unless
exposed to for a long time or on a repeated basis.
However, Chu admitted that the torch could start a fire if it came into contact
with gasoline, adding that he regretted not conducting a safety check before his
performance.
A witness said that when the ceiling caught fire, it caused a fireball that the
audience initially believed was part of the show.
Fire safety standards for beverage shops are less stringent than those for
nightclubs. Nightclubs are required to have fire-retardant furnishing and be
equipped with automatic sprinkler systems when they are more than 27.9m2 — two
variables that were missing at the ALA pub, in which as many as 200 attendees
were packed at the 99.12m2 location.
The fire in Greater Taichung’s West District (西區) could be a major stumbling
block for Hu, who was re-elected in a tightly fought campaign last November.
KMT legislators have also backed calls for Hu to take responsibility for the
fire and said they supported a far-reaching investigation by the Control Yuan
into any alleged wrongdoing.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) called Hu on Sunday afternoon to discuss the
possibility of adding regulations on fire prevention at public venues.
Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) said it was “necessary” for the -Control Yuan to hold
an investigation and called on governments on all levels to comply.
“Hopefully these measures can prevent something like this from occurring again,”
Wu said.
The fire has prompted other municipalities, including Taipei City and Greater
Kaohsiung, to crack down on pubs and similar venues that violate fire codes.
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