FENG CHIA RESTAURANT GAS EXPLOSION CAUSED BY IGNORANCE|逢甲氣爆究因 更換瓦斯鋼瓶時外洩竟開電扇

One dead and 15 others injured after an explosion hit a restaurant in Feng Chia business district in Taichung city on Tuesday. According to the initial investigation, a newly hired gas technician accidentally hit two of the gas cylinders, which leaked liquid gas and fell downstairs into the restaurant's basement. His boss then came to the scene trying to salvage the situation by pulling up a heavy industrial fan, and possibly triggered the explosion, as it would have spread the gas around the basement and one touch of a switch would have been enough to spark off a blast. Investigators were collecting evidences at the gas explosion site. Restaurant employees were terrified after the explosions. ==EMPLOYEE== Because I worked at 12pm, and when I got to work place, the gas had already leaked. So I and two other workers went outside next door. According to the fire bureau investigation, a newly hired technician from gas company dropped a gas steel cylinder to basement during switching. Gas company owner used electric fans to disperse gases caused the first explosion. The explosion pushed down another gas cylinder and caused the second explosion, it was a boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion. ==HSIAO HUAN-CHANG Director, Taichung Fire Bureau== That was a boiling liquid expanding vapor explosioN. Gas steel cylinders heated up and vaporized. Cylinders cracked at and explosions occurred. The 20-kilogram steel cylinders are equivalent to 200-kilogram of TNT. The fire bureau stated, the explosion radius was at least six meters, one person died and 15 people injured. The fatal death was caused by escaping to a non-window restroom. Taichung Fire Bureau said, reserved gas steel cylinders in the restaurant did not exceed the number regulated. The bureau said to randomly inspect restaurants in shopping areas and promote safety tips with fire drills. TRANSLATED BY：ANTHONY LIN 台中逢甲商圈餐廳，昨天中午發生瓦斯氣爆意外，造成1死15輕重傷，初步調查，瓦斯公司員工，更換鋼瓶時，不慎踢落2支鋼瓶、滾到地下室，造成瓦斯外洩，瓦斯行老闆前往處理，想用電風扇吹散瓦斯，在插電時引發兩次氣爆。 瓦斯氣爆現場一片狼藉，鑑識人員在現場進行採證，早上氣爆餐廳的員工從回現場，仍心有餘悸。 ==咖哩店員工== 因為我是12點上班 然後我到現場 就已經瓦斯外洩了 所以跟其他兩位店員 在隔壁間的前面外面 台中市消防局調查，爆炸發生前，第一天上班的瓦斯行員工在更換鋼瓶時，不慎將瓦斯鋼瓶掉落到地下室引發瓦斯外洩，後來瓦斯行老闆拿電風扇要吹散瓦斯，才會引起第一次爆炸，而爆炸也讓另一支鋼瓶傾倒，進而引發沸騰液體膨脹蒸氣爆炸現象，發生第二次爆炸。 ==台中市消防局長 蕭煥彰== 這次會發生BLEVE （沸騰液體膨脹蒸氣爆炸)的現象 就是鋼瓶受熱以後蒸發成氣化 然後在脆弱的地方裂開來 爆開 昨天的20公斤鋼瓶 相當於200公斤黃色炸藥的威力 消防局表示，20公斤的瓦斯鋼瓶爆炸範圍半徑至少6公尺，威力相當驚人，這次的瓦斯氣爆造成1死15輕重傷，目前包括重傷的餐廳老闆和瓦斯行老闆在內，還有8人在醫院救治；而這場意外中喪生的陳姓女子，慌亂中躲進沒有窗戶的浴室，更是致命的選擇。 消防局另也清查，爆炸餐廳現場存放的瓦斯並未超量，未來除了不定期抽查相關商圈桶裝瓦斯狀況，也將加強相關安全宣導救災演練。 邱植培 彭煥群 台中報導