Toll in Taiwan gas leak rises to 27

Incessant rains made it difficult for rescue workers to carry our operations

Taipei: The toll in Taiwan’s underground gas explosions rose to 27, the island’s emergency operation authority said yesterday. The blasts, which hit Kaohsiung city on Thursday, left another 284 injured, 56 of them critically.

The blasts, which hit Kaohsiung city on Thursday, left 284 people injured. Fifty-six of them were quite critical. Pic/AFP

The rains added to the difficulty of the rescuers. Kaohsiung government has resettled more than 900 residents, while electricity supply to 12,000 households and gas supply to about 23,000 houses has been cut.

The island’s fire-fighting authority said gas leaks lead to multiple explosions that affected an area as large as three sq km, overturning cars and ripping up roads.  

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