5 Hongkies among 400 in hospital after flaming party dust scorches crowds at Taiwan

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At least 10 water park blast victims will die: Mackay Hospital

2015/07/07 15:34:18

Taipei, July 7 (CNA) Of the 50 water park explosion victims who are being treated at Mackay Memorial Hospital, at least 10 are expected to succumb to their wounds, Yang Yuh-cheng, the hospital's superintendent, said Tuesday.

Yang said 34 of the patients are suffering from severe burns over at least 50 percent of their bodies, and he pointed out that owing to the nature of their injuries, the fatality rate of these 34 people is probably going to rise.

According to statistics released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, a total of 495 people recieved burns in the June 27 color party explosion at the Formosa Fun Coast Water Park in New Taipei. Since then, three of them have already died.

As of Monday, 432 of the injured were still being treated in 49 hospitals around Taiwan, 291 of whom were in intensive care units, including 235 who remained in critical condition.

(By Tang Pei-chun, Chen Ching-fang and Y.F. Low)

 

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Model Lin Chi-ling visits burn victim to give encouragement

2015/07/07 21:36:21

model and actress Lin Chi-ling (with mask)

Taipei, July 7 (CNA) Taiwanese model and actress Lin Chi-ling (林志玲) visited a victim of the June 27 dust explosion Tuesday and said she hopes to give strength to the victim, who is one of her fans.

"I believe there is nothing I can do to ease Wan-hsuan's pain, but I hope to give her all the strength I can," Lin said after visiting 18-year-old Chen Wan-hsuan (陳宛萱), who is hospitalized at the China Medical University Hospital.

The top model said she had wanted to visit Chen a day earlier, but doctors advised her to wait until Chen's condition was more stable.

Chen's father had expressed hope that the model would give words of encouragement to his daughter. He said Chen, who herself studied modeling, appeared to have given up on life.

Chen suffered burns to 70 percent of her body.

She was injured in the fiery explosion at the Formosa Fun Coast Water Park in New Taipei's Bali District. The accident occurred when colored cornstarch exploded and burst into flames at a Color Play Asia party held in a drained pool.

(By Hau Hsueh-ching and Christie Chen)

 

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First serious blaze victim leaves hospital

By Matthew Strong
Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2015-07-07 04:37 PM

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – For the first time, a serious burns victim from the June 27 water park blaze was allowed to leave hospital, reports said Tuesday.

Three people died and up to 500 were injured when colored cornstarch powder exploded at a mass event at the Formosa Fun Coast water park in New Taipei City.

Chen Po-chang, who suffered burns over 20.8 percent of his body, was the first such patient to be allowed to leave hospital and return home after 11 days of treatment. He left the Far Eastern Memorial Hospital in Banqiao on Tuesday amid massive media interest.

Chen told reporters that when the powder exploded, many people fell over or ran to the closest source of water, but he was afraid of contamination and therefore ran all the way to the park’s main entrance and exit. He had been standing in the middle of the area when the disaster happened.

Chen said he was happy to be leaving hospital, and hoped his departure would help encouraged those victims still having to stay. The replacement of bandages had been the most difficult to bear during the treatment process, but apart from using pain killers, the only way had been to endure, he told reporters.

Hospital President Chu Shu-hsun said that Chen’s going home should be a positive sign for other patients and their families. Of the other 18 patients at the hospital, there was one who had burns over 17 percent of his body who might also be released soon, Chu said.

 

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Water park death toll could reach 30

By Matthew Strong
Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2015-07-07 03:44 PM

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The number of fatal victims of the June 27 Formosa Fun Coast water park could rise from the present three to 30, according to statistics from the Ministry of Health and Welfare reported Tuesday.

Three people died in the aftermath of the fire which injured almost 500 mostly young people, but doctors have still warned that many of the patients have entered a critical period, with more infections and even deaths a strong possibility.

The superintendent of Mackay Memorial Hospital, Yang Yuh-cheng, caused some consternation Tuesday when he said that out of each 50 victims, ten might not survive.

Based on data about burn victims aged between 15 and 30 over the past ten years, the death rate stood at 10.6 percent within six months after the disaster, which could translate into about 30 deaths for the Formosa Fun Coast blaze.

The ministry warned that other factors could also be at play, including the improvement of medical technology since the data came out and the efforts of medical and nursing staff.

The risk period for the burn victims was likely to last six months, Mackay’s Yang said, advising relatives to be ready for the worst.

The medical group has been at the forefront of treating the victims, partly due to the location of one of its hospitals in New Taipei City’s Tamshui District, not far from the site of the disaster in Bali District.

New data released by the ministry Tuesday saw the total number of victims still in critical condition drop to 229 from 235 Tuesday, but 22 of the victims had burns over 80 percent or more of their body.

A total of 288 people were staying at intensive care departments and three were being treated by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a technique which uses a pump to circulate blood through an artificial lung back into the bloodstream.

Of the 426 people still receiving medical treatment, 22 had burns over 80 percent or more of their body, and 248 had burns over at least 40 percent of their body, according to the ministry data.

 

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Water park operator interrogated by police in dust explosion case

Central News Agency
2015-07-08 08:02 PM

Taipei, July 8 (CNA) Formosa Fun Coast Chairman Chen Po-ting was interrogated at a New Taipei police station on Wednesday as police try to figure out who was responsible for explosions at the water park in late June that left hundreds injured.

Chen, along with Formosa Fun Coast general manager Chen Hui-ying and administrative director Lin Yu-fen, was questioned at Luzhou Police Station about the company's involvement in the disaster. It was the first time Chen Po-ting had appeared in public since nearly 500 people were engulfed by intense flames generated by colored powder explosions at a Color Play Asia party held at the water park on June 27.

Three of the injured have since died from the severe burns they sustained while 424 people are still hospitalized and 225 are in critical condition as of Wednesday at noon, according to Ministry of Health and Welfare statistics.

Responsibility for the disaster has been unclear because Formosa Fun Coast provided the venue for the party, but it was organized by Lu Chung-chi, the head of a local marketing firm, and promoted by a third company, Juipo International Marketing Co..

Among the issues the police may have been trying to clarify was the contractual relationship between the three parties in organizing the event and whether conditions at the venue contributed to the accident. The three Formosa Fun Coast executives were released after being questioned, but the police said they were listed as being under suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death, without providing further details.

As he left the police station, Chen Po-ting said he felt "very sorry for the victims, and I hope they make an early recovery." "I will take whatever responsibility I should," he said. Chen's failure to make any public statements on the accident had been harshly criticized, including by New Taipei Deputy Mayor Hou You-yi, who blasted Chen for not apologizing for the disaster and accused him of trying to evade responsibility.

The Taipei Shilin District Prosecutors Office, meanwhile, said Wednesday that it had listed five persons as possible suspects in the dust explosions, including Lu. The office released Lu on bail of NT$1 million (US$32,000) and prohibited him from leaving the country after questioning him on June 28.

Other main suspects were Juipo's hardware technician Chiu Po-ming, special effects technician Liao Chun-ming, worker Shen Hao-jan, and Lu Chien-yu, who was responsible for blowing colored powder at the party. Chiu was also banned from leaving the country after being released by the district prosecutors office on NT$300,000 bail. The other three were released without having to put up bail.

(By Liu Shih-yi and Elizabeth Hsu)

 

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Water park chairman questioned

By Matthew Strong
Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2015-07-08 02:36 PM

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Formosa Fun Coast Chairman Chen Po-ting apologized to the victims of the June 27 blaze after having been questioned by police Tuesday.

Three people died and almost 500 were injured in the wake of an explosion of colored cornstarch powder at the water park in New Taipei City’s Bali District.

The police station in nearby Luzhou District summoned Chen for questioning Wednesday morning, the day after a court approved provisional attachments on his assets at the request of the city government on behalf of 13 victims.

Chen, who also chairs shipping company Wan Hai Lines Ltd., did not speak to the media when he arrived at the police station in the company of an attorney around 10 a.m. Leaving more than an hour later, he was unwilling to reveal what he had been questioned about.

“I feel very sorry for the victims, and I will shoulder the responsibility I have to bear,” he told reporters before leaving in a car.

Police did not comment on the contents of the questioning, but Chen was reportedly listed as a suspect. There was also no word about whether the water park chairman would have to visit the Shilin District Prosecutors Office for further interviews.

Early after the disaster, Formosa Fun Coast management seemed to distance itself from the organization of the color party, saying it had only been responsible for renting out the park to the organizers.

On Tuesday, the Shilin District Court approved a New Taipei City request to slap Chen’s assets with provisional attachments, but it turned down similar requests targeting the event organizers, Play Color Co. manager Lu Chung-chi and Juipo International Marketing Co. chief Chou Hung-wei.

The court would only approve attachments for Lu and Chou if it could be shown that the two were trying to waste or hide their assets, reports said Wednesday.

The total amount of the attachments was set at NT$169 million (US$5.4 million). More than 200 victims of the water park blaze were still listed in critical condition, with some experts predicting that the death toll could reach 10 percent of those with more than 20 percent of their body covered by burns.

After Chen, Lu and Chou also showed up at the Luzhou police station for questioning, reports said. Formosa Fun Coast CEO Chen Huei-ting and executive supervisor Lin Yu-fen were also interrogated and listed as suspects, reports said.

Until Wednesday, five individuals have been named as defendants, including Lu, hardware chief Chiu Po-ming, special effects technician Liao Chun-ming, employee Shen Hao-jan and Lu Chien-yu, the man in charge of the powder at the event.

 

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NT$1 billion received to help water park blast victims: New Taipei

Central News Agency
2015-07-08 09:04 PM

Taipei, July 8 (CNA) Over NT$1.03 billion (US$33.21 billion) has been donated to help people suffering from severe burns sustained in dust explosions at the Formosa Fun Coast water park in New Taipei on June 27, the municipal government said Wednesday.

As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, a total of NT$1,031,608,370 in donations had been collected in a special account created by New Taipei to help people who were injured in the flames triggered by the blasts and their families, according to the city's figures.

To ensure the funds are used to help the burn victims, the city has established a committee to supervise the account consisting of representatives of the victims' families, the Sunshine Social Welfare Foundation, the Consumers' Foundation and the Taiwan Society for Burn Injuries and Wound Healing, according to New Taipei Mayor Eric Chu.

The city is also working to coordinate the allocation of medical manpower and resources to help the burn victims recover, Chu added. Also Wednesday, New Taipei Agriculture Department Director Liao Jung-ching said the department and several farmers' associations around the city will donate nearly NT$70,000 they earned from selling green bamboo shoots to a special account for the victims.

Liao said the department and farmers' associations held a green bamboo shoots trade fair on July 4, and some farmers who sold their produce at the fair decided to donate the proceeds and some of their own money to the special account.

According to statistics released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, a total of 495 people suffered severe burns while attending the Color Asia Party at the venue when colored powder suddenly exploded and burst into flames. Three of those injured have died, and as of Wednesday at noon, 424 people remained hospitalized, with 281 of them in intensive care units.

A total of 225 were listed in critical condition. According to the ministry, the 495 victims suffered an average burn size of 44 percent of their bodies, with 248 sustaining burns to more than 40 percent of their bodies, including 22 who suffered burns to more than 80 percent of their bodies.

Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is importing 700,038 square centimeters of cadaver skin to treat the victims, of which 245,598 square cm has arrived. It has plans to import another 800,000 square centimeters of skin in the future.

(By Justin Su, Lung Pei-ning, Kelven Huang and Evelyn Kao)

 

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225 blaze victims still in critical condition

By Matthew Strong
Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2015-07-08 05:26 PM

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The total number of water park blaze victims in critical condition dropped to 225 from 229, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced Wednesday.

The authorities have published a daily number of the total of patients and their condition as the situation changed. Three people died in the aftermath of the June 27 disaster at the Formosa Fun Coast park in New Taipei City which injured almost 500 people.

The number of people in hospital totaled 424, with 281 still in intensive care, according to the government data. A total of 22 victims had burns over 80 percent or more of their body and 248 over at least 40 percent. The average was 44 percent for all burn victims, the ministry said.

The Food and Drug Administration said it had bought more than 700,000 square centimeters of skin overseas, with 245,000 square cm already available in the country for use by hospitals. In a second phase, the FDA said it was looking to buy an additional 800,000 square cm.

Due to frequent reports about overworked doctors and nurses in the wake of the disaster, a new platform launched by the ministry had registered more than 1,000 medical staff available for extra work, reports said. The list included 75 doctors and almost 1,000 nurses.

 

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Death toll from water park explosion rises to 7 (update)

2015/07/16 21:09:10

Taipei, July 16 (CNA) A 19-year-old college student died Thursday of injuries sustained in a fiery explosion at a water park in New Taipei last month, bringing the death toll to seven.

Lin Chih-yun (林芷妘), who suffered severe burns and complications such as sepsis, was taken off life support Thursday at Taoyuan General Hospital with the consent of her family, doctors said.

She was the second victim to die in as many days in the wake of the flash fire that occurred on June 27, when cornstarch powder ignited at a party at Formosa Fun Coast water park, injuring nearly 500 people.

As of Thursday, 382 of the burn victims remained hospitalized, with 250 in intensive care units, 185 of whom were in critical condition, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The ministry's data showed that the people who were injured in the fire suffered burns over 44 percent of their bodies on average, with 248 sustaining burns over 40 percent of their bodies, and 21 suffering burns over 80 percent of their bodies.

Meanwhile, 61.6 percent of the imported cadaver skin - totaling 410,800 square cm - had been used for grafts as of Thursday and another 60,000 square cm was expected to arrive from the United States later in the day.

(By Jay Chen)

 

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The victims fighting to survive after Taiwan water park inferno

AFP
July 17, 2015, 2:34 am

Taipei (AFP) - Almost three weeks after a fireball engulfed hundreds of young partygoers in Taiwan, the death toll continues to rise with agonising slowness as parents keep vigil at their children's bedsides, willing those who survived to stay alive.

"She almost lost her heartbeat," said Michael Chu, father of 18-year-old student Julie, who suffered burns to more than 70 percent of her body when the inferno scorched through the crowd at a water park on June 28.

"We kept calling her name, telling her not to be taken by the devil and that she had to live on bravely," Chu said.

Around 1,000 revellers had gathered for a "colour party" at the Formosa Fun Coast water park, which turned into a nightmare when plumes of decorative corn starch being sprayed on the crowd ignited.

Horrific amateur footage showed crowds running for their lives, screaming as they were overtaken by flames.

The only parts of Julie's body that were spared were covered by her two-piece swimming costume.

She is often unconscious due to anaesthetics, and faces up to five more rounds of surgery to remove damaged skin, said Chu.

He adds that doctors say it is hard to determine Julie's fate as every time they operate there is a life-threatening risk of infection.

And survival brings its own fears for her anguished parents.

"Her life is ruined. She can't go to school now and won't be able to have a career. She won't be able to get married," her father said.

"She has to face the rest of her life like this, to deal with it on her own when we're no longer around," he told AFP.

- 'She still has nightmares' -

Seven victims have died so far, and there are fears the number will rise in what medics say is an unprecedented disaster for Taiwan, given the scale and severity of the injuries.

The first victim lived for two days with 90 percent burns before dying. Since then six more have succumbed to their injuries, the latest dying Thursday.

"We and many other hospitals are struggling to keep the severely injured alive," Chao You-chen, head of Taipei's Tzu Chi Hospital, told AFP.

"This is unseen before, so many people with such serious burns in one incident. The challenges have been huge."

Currently 386 people remain in hospital, with 198 in critical condition -- 20 of whom have more than 80 percent burns.

Most of the victims of the fire were between 18 and 25 years old.

Specialists from Japan have flown in to advise on the treatment of the seriously injured and Taiwan has undertaken the grisly but necessary task of importing metres of skin for grafts.

There is hope for one father whose 18-year-old daughter escaped with 55 percent burns and is now stable in hospital.

"Her condition is better now but she still has nightmares," he told AFP, wanting to remain anonymous.

"She grips my hand until she falls asleep, asking me not to leave."

But even patients who are stable face months of treatment.

"We've got to make sure they don't get infected, that they have good skin graft operations, blood transfusions and sufficient nutrition," said Chao, whose hospital has mobilised 150 medical staff to care for the victims.

- 'He has a desire to live' -

The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, with authorities saying that either a cigarette or heat and sparks from stage lights could have been to blame.

The company that supplied the corn starch to event organisers Color Play Asia said it had warned of its flammability.

Three suspects have been released on bail as prosecutors investigate them on charges of offences against public safety and negligence causing deaths.

Owner of Color Play Asia, Lu Chung-chi, 41, was one of those bailed, along with hardware equipment technician Chiu Po-ming, 33, and special effects worker Liao Chun-ming, 39.

Six more are being investigated, Taipei prosecutors said, including both the chairman and the president of the water park.

Assets of the water park, Color Play Asia and the event's marketing company have been frozen, pending the criminal case, so that they can be used for compensation.

The government has promised to pay for all medical expenses while victims are in hospital, with the possibility of further support for rehabilitation as families face bills for long-term treatment.

As the agony continues for victims and their loved ones, heartbreaking life or death decisions are being made daily.

One young man, Huang Po-wei, 22, who suffered 95 percent burns, opted this week to have his legs amputated from below the knees.

"He has a strong desire to live," said plastic surgeon Lin Huang-chi who is treating Huang.

"He knew if he did not (have the amputation) he would not survive."

 

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Father of recovering burn victim commits suicide in New Taipei

CNA 2015-07-19 16:16 (GMT+8)

The scene of the suicide in Taoyuan's Chungli district, July 18. (Photo/CNA)

The father of a burn victim in the June 27 colored powder explosion at a water park in New Taipei committed suicide Saturday, apparently from stress and sadness over his son's condition.

Police said the 63-year-old man, surnamed Wang, went missing after he and his wife visited their second son at the Linkou branch of Chang Kung Memorial Hospital on Saturday morning.

His wife reported that her husband, who was a taxi driver, went missing afterwards.

Their eldest son found that his father had hanged himself in the family's old, unoccupied home in Chungli. The father did not leave a suicide note.

Police said Wang's son suffered burns over 20% of his body during the dust explosions at a concert at Formosa Fun Coast water park, and the father probably ended his life because of the physical and mental toll he felt from his son's ordeal.

Chang Kung hospital said it regretted the death of the father, as his son had suffered only minor injuries and was recovering well.

Social workers who visited the family members of every burn victim daily said they did not detect any abnormal signs in the father.

The New Taipei government appealed to people to cherish their lives, and urged family members who were having trouble coping to seek assistance from one of the city's burn management center.

The city's Social Welfare Department said it has assigned each burn victim a social worker to coordinate long-term care and help them face future rehabilitation.

Seven people have died from injuries suffered in the fiery blasts. Among the nearly 500 injured, 370 are still hospitalized, and 174 remain in critical condition.

Ministry of Health and Welfare data showed that people injured in the fire suffered burns to over 44% of their bodies on average.

 

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U.S. medical experts start mission with unexpected visit to hospital (update)

2015/07/19 17:26:26

Taipei, July 19 (CNA) A group of U.S. medical experts who arrived in Taiwan Saturday decided to get an early start to their mission, unexpectedly visiting a Taipei hospital Sunday to offer advice on caring for burn victims injured in dust explosions at a New Taipei water park on June 27.

The five U.S. experts were scheduled to visit seven hospitals around Taiwan beginning Monday to offer advice and treat some of the hundreds of people who suffered severe burns in the Formosa Fun Coast water park disaster.

The five medical experts are Stephen Maxwell Milner, director of the Johns Hopkins Burn Center; Christina L. Catlett, attending physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital; Denver Lough, plastic and reconstructive surgery resident at Johns Hopkins Hospital; Linda Ware, clinical social work/therapist; and therapist Theresa A. Lynch.

A sixth member of the team, Kevin Gerold, an associate professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, was to arrive in Taiwan separately from the others, though it was unclear when.

The five experts flew in from Los Angeles together with President Ma Ying-jeou on his chartered plane as he returned home from an eight-day trip to Central America and the Caribbean.

During their two-hour visit to Mackay Memorial Hospital in Taipei Sunday, the five experts viewed the burn victims through the hospital observation windows and expressed satisfaction with the quality of care provided by the hospital, according to Shih Shou-chuan (施壽全), vice president of the hospital.

They have also talked about the feasibility of transferring a burn patient to the United States for treatment, Shih said.

The medical experts tried to gain a first-hand understanding of the injuries of American burn victim Alex Hass and discussed with the hospital about the feasibility of transferring Hass to a hospital in Boston which is near Hass's home in New Jersey.

However, due to the severe burn he suffers and the long distance between Taiwan and the United States, the plan is still under discussion.

With infection prevention and control measures adopted by the hospital, the medical experts could only gain an understanding of the conditions of the burn victims through the observation windows and tablet computers, instead of directly touching the victims.

(By Chen Ching-fang, Lillian Lin and Evelyn Kao)

 

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175 injured in water park disaster remain in critical condition

2015/07/19 21:08:27

Taipei, July 19 (CNA) Three weeks after nearly 500 people were injured in fiery explosions at a concert in New Taipei on June 27, there are still 175 people listed in critical condition, according to government figures released Sunday.

Among them, 73 were intubated and seven were undergoing dialysis therapy, but none were being kept alive through extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), an artificial life support system, the Ministry of Health and Welfare figures showed.

As of Sunday, there were 365 people injured in the disaster who were still undergoing treatment at 42 hospitals in 13 cities and counties.

Seven of the victims have died of their injuries and complications.

According to the data, those injured suffered burns to 44 percent of their body areas on average, with 248 sustaining burns to more than 40 percent of their bodies, including 21 who suffered burns to more than 80 percent of their bodies.

The ministry said that at present, hospitals tending to the burn patients were not facing any shortages of medical workers or artificial skin, medical dressings and skin treatment equipment.

The disaster occurred when colored powder exploded and ignited as it was being sprayed into the crowd at a Color Play Asia event at the Formosa Fun Coast water park on Taiwan's northwestern coast.

(By Chen Ching-fang and Evelyn Kao)

 

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Burns victim helps cover fellow patient’s bill

Shanghai Daily, July 22, 2015

Gao Jiechun, vice director of the city's Red Cross Society gives the mother of burns victim Teresa Yip an award after the daughter made a hefty donation to help pay for another patient's treatment. [photo / Shanghai Daily]

A young woman from Hong Kong who is being treated at Ruijin Hospital after being badly burned in the Taiwan water park blaze has donated 300,000 yuan (US$48,300) to help pay for the treatment of a fellow burns victim.

Teresa Yip, an 18-year-old student at a Shanghai university, suffered burns to almost 40 percent of her body in the fire. After receiving primary treatment in Taiwan, she was transferred to Ruijin on June 30 at the request of her parents who live and work in the city.

Soon after arriving, Yip heard the story of 25-year-old Wang Haibin who is also being treated at Ruijin for severe burns he suffered last month while trying to help his neighbors escape a blaze at a residential building in Huacao Town in Minhang District.

Yip's mother said her daughter wanted to help Wang after hearing of his heroic deeds from her doctors.

Wang, a migrant worker from a poor family in east China's Jiangsu Province, has burns to almost 90 percent of his body.

"His condition is critical," said Dr Huan Jingning, director of the hospital's burns department.

"Wang has so many large and deep burns they cannot all be dealt with at once, so he is in constant risk of infection and secondary problems," he said.

"He faces a long road to recovery, but we hope he will one day be well enough to care for himself," the doctor said.

"My daughter regards Wang Haibin as a very brave man and really wanted to help him," said Yip's mother, who shares Wang's surname.

The money came from the student's savings and college fund, her mother said, adding that the donation was handled by the Shanghai branch of Red Cross Society of China.

As far as Yip's own treatment is concerned, Dr Huan said she is making good progress and should be discharged in about a month's time.

Yip was one of almost 500 people who were injured at the "Color Play Asia" event at the Formosa Fun Coast water park on June 27. Eight people were also killed in a blaze that started when powder sprayed on to partygoers ignited.

 

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Water park fiery explosion death toll rises to 10

2015/07/30 20:39:09

Taipei, July 30 (CNA) A 31-year-old woman died Thursday of injuries she sustained in a fiery explosion at a water park in New Taipei about a month ago, bringing the death toll from the incident to 10, according to a local hospital.

Kuo Li-chun (郭立君) was pronounced dead at Chi Mei Hospital in Tainan after being transferred from a Taipei hospital so her family members in the southern Taiwan city could help take care of her.

Kuo, who suffered second- to third-degree burns over 50 percent of her body, died of septic shock and multiple organ failure, doctors said.

Of the nearly 500 people injured in the June 27 incident, 116 people remained in critical condition as of Thursday morning, according to statistics compiled by the Health and Welfare Ministry.

The accident occurred when cornstarch powder ignited at a party at Formosa Fun Coast water park (八仙樂園), engulfing partygoers in fire.

New Taipei Social Welfare Department officials expressed sadness over Chen's death and said they will present his family with a funeral subsidy of NT$1 million (US$32,102).

(By Lee Hsin-Yin)

 

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Water park dust explosion death toll rises to 11

2015/08/12 18:17:46

The scene of dust explosion June 27. CNA file photo

Taipei, Aug. 12 (CNA) A woman died Wednesday of injuries she sustained in a fiery dust explosion at a water park in New Taipei on June 27, bringing the death toll from the incident to 11, according to a local hospital.

The woman, Tsai Hsin-yu (蔡心瑜), suffered burns to over 70 percent of her body and died of multiple organ failure, doctors said.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare's latest report released on Aug. 10, 269 of the nearly 500 victims from the incident remained hospitalized, 117 of whom were in intensive care units.

The ministry said it has not yet updated the latest status of the patients.

(By Chiu Chun-chin and Lee Hsin-Yin)

 

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Hong Kong woman, 19, injured in Taiwan dust explosion leaves hospital after five skin graft operations on third-degree burns

PUBLISHED : Thursday, 03 September, 2015, 2:26pm
UPDATED : Thursday, 03 September, 2015, 7:33pm

Jennifer Ngo
[email protected]

Mok Chi-ching (fourth from left) – a first-year university student in Taiwan – was able to forgo a wheelchair and stepped out of the Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital accompanied by her mother and doctors. Photos: Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, SCMP Pictures

A 19-year-old Hong Kong woman who was seriously injured in a coloured powder explosion in Taiwan left hospital this morning, two months after the explosion at a water park in New Taipei City killed 12 and injured 500 people.

Mok Chi-ching suffered third-degree burns to 65 per cent of her skin following the explosion. She is the last of five Hongkongers injured in the incident to leave hospital in Taiwan.

According to Taiwanese media, Mok – a first-year university student in Taiwan – was able to forgo a wheelchair and stepped out of the Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital accompanied by her mother and classmates.

Mok’s attending physician Dr Cheng Hung-chang said she underwent five skin graft surgeries to repair her extensive burns, and currently only 0.5 per cent of her burn wounds remain – equivalent to an area the size of the palm of a hand.

The flash fire at the Formosa Fun Coast in Bali district of New Taipei City exploded through crowds partying at the venue on June 28. A large volume of flammable coloured corn starch caught fire and set off a dust explosion.

Meeting the media at the hospital this morning, Mok said her studies were on hold but she would stay in Taiwan for the next three to six months for rehabilitation.

There are still 188 people in hospital injured in the explosion, with 33 of them in serious condition, according to local media.

 

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60% of water park fire victims released from hospital

2015/09/09 22:50:20

Taipei, Sept. 9 (CNA) The New Taipei City government said Wednesday that 60 percent of the people who were hospitalized two months ago with burns sustained in a deadly flash fire at a water park have been discharged.

As of Tuesday, 316 of the 499 burn victims had been released from hospital and most of them had checked into rehabilitation centers, according to a city government health official.

Among those discharged from hospital, only about 15 percent have been able to return home, with instructions for follow-up visits to medical clinics, the official said, adding that 171 burn victims of the water park fire are still hospitalized.

In response to the city government's efforts to help the victims return to their normal lives, 29 companies have offered 170 job opportunities to those who have recovered, the official said.

The fire occurred at Formosa Fun Water Park in New Taipei on June 27, when a colored cornstarch powder exploded during a party. Some 499 people were injured and 12 have since died.

(By L.C. Su and Lillian Lin)

 

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Organizer indicted over Taiwan coloured powder party fire that killed 12, injured hundreds

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First posted: Friday, October 16, 2015 01:04 AM EDT | Updated: Friday, October 16, 2015 01:39 AM EDT

People carry an injured victim from an accidental explosion during a music concert at the Formosa Water Park in New Taipei City, Taiwan, June 27, 2015. (REUTERS/Chen Bo)

BEIJING -- The organizer of a party at a theme park in Taiwan at which 12 people were killed and hundreds injured by exploding powder was indicted Friday on charges including negligent homicide.

The indictment recommends a heavy sentence for Lu Chung-chi if convicted over the July 27 disaster at the Formosa Fun Coast park in a suburb of the island's capital, Taipei. The charges in the indictment also include causing injury and serious injury through professional negligence.

Lu was arrested soon after the incident at the "Color Play Asia" party and has apologized and accepted responsibility for his role in the deaths and injuries.

The starchy coloured powder was blasted into the crowd during a hot day and ignited by what investigators believe may have been a spark or cigarette. Its Taiwanese manufacturer said it had no knowledge of its intended use and said it posed a risk of igniting if densely applied at high temperature.

The park was ordered closed after the disaster and the island's premier banned the use of such powder at all future events.

The roughly 500 injured also included victims from Singapore, Hong Kong, mainland China and the U.S.

In recent years, "colour runs" and "colour parties" have grown popular in many countries, inspired by the use of such powder by revelers during the annual Holi celebrations in India and Nepal, a Hindu festival.

 

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Death toll from water park dust blast rises to 13

2015/10/28 17:12:33

CNA file photo

Taipei, Oct. 28 (CNA) A 20-year-old man perished Wednesday due to severe burns and infection after being badly injured in a dust explosion and ensuing flash fire at a water park in New Taipei in late June, bringing the death toll from the tragedy to 13.

Wang Wei-po (王韋博) died of cardiac failure at Taipei Veterans General Hospital after becoming infected with bacterial pneumonia in mid-October, the hospital said.

The patient is the son of Tang Mei-na (唐美娜), former spokeswoman for the Committee of Family Members of Dust Explosion Victims. He was sent to the emergency center of the Taipei hospital June 27, when he was diagnosed with burns to 70 percent of his body, as well as inhalation injuries.

On June 28, Wang underwent an emergency escharotomy, a surgical incision into a burn scar intended to lessen its pull on the surrounding tissue, on all four limbs, according to the hospital.

In the following four months of treatment, the patient developed multiple complications including wound infections, pneumonia, bacteremia, septic shock and kidney failure, the hospital said.

Wang was among the nearly 500 victims from the June 27 incident at the Formosa Fun Coast water park (八仙樂園). The disaster occurred when colored cornstarch powder dispensed into the crowd exploded, engulfing partygoers, most of them in their teens and 20s, in a wall of fire.

Taipei Veterans General Hospital said it took 43 victims after the accident, including six who had sustained burns to more than 80 percent of their bodies.

As of Wednesday, 44 victims of the water park explosion remained hospitalized, including 11 being treated at intensive care wards, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said.

Nine patients remain in critical condition, the ministry said.

(By Lung Pei-ning and Elizabeth Hsu)