Two dead, two injured in suspected bento shop gas explosion

2026-06-09

A suspected gas explosion at a bento shop in Hsinchu City claimed two lives in the early hours of Tuesday. The tragedy took place on Gaocui Road, where 11 explosions were counted in just 4 seconds. The huge force caused damaged all over the street, and collapsed a brick wall that crushed the couple living next door. The bento shop owner, who lives on the building’s third floor was injured, and so was another neighbor on the first floor of the house to the other side of the shop. Let’s hear more.

Kuo Peng-hsin
Borough warden
It seems the explosion happened at the bento shop, and it damaged the bakery next door.

Local
Lives nearby
They used to sell lamb stew there. It became a bento shop this year.

Lee Shih-kung
Hsinchu City Fire Bureau
The force of the explosion toppled a brick wall next door, which crushed a husband and wife who were sleeping. When we found them, they didn’t have any vital signs.

Due to the force of the explosion, fire fighters thought that there must have been more than one leaky gas canister. But another possibility is that the gas accumulated over a longer period inside the bento shop, causing a big bang. The exact cause of the incident is under investigation.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#gas #gasexplosion #hsinchu #bento

驚悚! 新竹便當店疑瓦斯外洩釀禍造成兩死兩傷

2026-06-09

新竹市高翠路一家便當店，9日凌晨疑似瓦斯外洩引發氣爆，短短4秒至少發生11次爆炸，巨大威力重創整條街，隔壁麵包店的夫妻檔在睡夢中慘遭倒塌磚牆壓死；住三樓的便當店員工受傷，還有隔壁民宅1樓住戶肢體擦挫傷，共造成兩死兩傷。

[[當地里長郭朋鑫]]
“爆炸點應該是便當店這裡，旁邊麵包店是受它的波及。”

[[附近住戶]]
“原本是賣羊肉爐收掉了，現在是變便當店。今年剛開的。”

[[新竹市消防局局長李世恭]]
“因為爆炸威力很大，它跟隔壁戶就是一個磚牆，磚牆的倒塌去壓到隔壁戶的一對夫妻，正在睡覺的夫妻，我們救出來就已經沒有呼吸心跳了。”

消防人員初步推測，如只有1個瓦斯桶外洩，應不至於造成如此強大威力氣爆，不排除前一晚店家休息後，沒有察覺瓦斯外洩，導致瓦斯蓄積在整個屋子，才會造成如此嚴重氣爆。但確切氣爆原因，仍有待後續鑑定進一步釐清。

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民視台灣台（152頻道）週一至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00

2,000 evacuated in mountains of Kaohsiung amid heavy rains

2026-06-09

Taiwan to host international firefighter conference in 2030

At the end of May, National Fire Agency Director-General Hsiao Huan-chang led a delegation to Japan for the International Fire Chiefs’ Association of Asia General Conference. In a major diplomatic breakthrough for Taiwan, Hsiao came back with two pieces of good news. First, Taiwan will host the association’s General Conference in 2030. Second, in a first for Taiwan, the director-general of the National Fire Agency will assume the association’s vice presidency in 2028.

A firefighter marches onto the stage proudly displaying Taiwan’s national flag—a rare sight at official international conferences.

National Fire Agency Director-General Hsiao Huan-chang led a delegation to Nagoya, Japan, to participate in the International Fire Chiefs’ Association of Asia General Conference. He brought back two pieces of great news.

Hsiao Huan-chang
National Fire Agency Director-General
Taiwan will host the 36th IFCAA General Conference in 2030. In 2028, we will go to Tokyo, which is hosting the conference that year, and take over responsibilities for the following conference. The organizers in Tokyo have also expressed hope that Taiwan will serve as the association’s vice president in 2028.

This would mark the first time the association has selected a Taiwanese vice president. In 2030, fire chiefs from around the globe will gather in Taiwan for the group’s General Conference. These achievements show that the international community recognizes Taiwan’s disaster relief capabilities.

Hsiao Huan-chang
National Fire Agency Director-General
Taiwan and Japan are prone to typhoons, earthquakes, and floods. Last year, Taiwan even faced a tsunami warning. Our shared goal is to ensure that the lessons we have learned through experience and training are passed on, so that other countries don’t repeat the same mistakes.

Cho Kuan-ting
New Taipei City Councilor (DPP)
I think it’s incredibly moving. It’s a breakthrough for us in terms of diplomacy, firefighting, and disaster relief.

Taiwan’s firefighting and disaster relief capabilities are shining brightly on the international stage.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#Taiwan #IFCAA #Japan #diplomacy #firefighting #nationalflag #disasterrelief

2026-06-09

Vendor scales down banquet menu for sustainable small gatherings

Traditional “ban-doh” banquets don’t have to be shared by 10 people anymore! Hoping to serve demand for smaller group meals, one caterer has scaled back the portions into just enough for four. While preserving the must-have classics for any banquet, they also incorporated some creative and sustainable concepts, like serving appetizers inside ice cream cones. Tailored perfectly for individual portions, it’s a whole new way to enjoy traditional banquet culture.

Velvety mashed potatoes with chickpeas, salad greens, and maple syrup are tossed together and drizzled with mayonnaise before being topped with a single fresh shrimp and a final dusting of rainbow sprinkles. It might look like an ice cream cone, but it’s actually an appetizer for a traditional “ban-doh” banquet.

Chung Chia-pin
Legislator (DPP)
It’s my first time having a shrimp salad in an ice cream cone. It’s a new experience. Since smaller gatherings of three to five close friends are the norm now, a four-person banquet over two tables is ideal.

Catering to small households, single people, and intimate gatherings, this caterer scaled down the traditional 10-person banquet to serve only four people. The classic sticky rice cake is served in neat, compact portions, while the fish course is plated to resemble a bird in flight to symbolize “soaring to great heights.” The cabbage is arranged into delicate flowers to symbolize wealth and prosperity. Individual servings are the focus in this new style of catering, ensuring that everyone can eat their fill without producing too much waste.

Wu Yung-chiang
Association of Chain and Franchise Promotion
Whether it’s for the wedding sector or the broader food and beverage market, requests are becoming more customized and group sizes are shrinking across the board. A four-person package is usually under NT$10,000, a little over NT$9,000, and includes transport, DIY workshops, and a whole slate of other activities.

Beyond pushing culinary boundaries, this vendor is also incorporating principles of sustainability. The entire venue uses energy-saving facilities and has 110 bald cypress trees on the property for visitors to immerse themselves in nature while dining. They’ve also enlisted other eco-conscious brands to join in the sustainable movement, hoping this low-waste dining model will catch on across the traditional banquet market.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#banquet #traditionalbanquet #bandoh #sustainability #foodwaste #greendining #catering

2026-06-09

Gecko staying in incense burner becomes star of temple ritual

If you live in Taiwan, you’ve probably encountered a gecko at home at some point, but have you ever seen one chilling inside an incense burner? Worshippers at a temple in Donggang were surprised to see that last weekend. A gecko found a temporary home for itself inside the censer for two days. It held tight and steady to the big incense stick in the middle, only taking a break to let temple priests change the spent stick to a new one. Geckos are thought to bring good luck in Taiwan, and its presence at the temple has been interpreted as a good omen.

The temple is bustling with worshippers attending a religious ceremony. But one participant caught special attention: a gecko holding on perfectly still to an incense stick inside the burner. The reptile was there for a whole two days, surprising visitors. A priest says he’s never seen anything like it.

Lee Ming-cheng
Priest
It’s the first time I saw this, and at a celebration! The gecko was perched there during the rituals. When we changed the incense sticks, it took a rest and climbed back up on the fresh ones.

The temple in question is the Seven Dragon Temple in Donggang, which held an enshrinement ceremony last weekend. Worshippers quickly found the gecko grabbing on to the incense stick in the censer outside. When the stick was burned up, the reptile took a break at the bottom, but as soon as a new stick was placed, it climbed back up and clung on as before. Could it also be trying to reach the gods?

Mr. Chen
Priest
Generally, our religion says that all living beings have a spirit, each with their own spirituality. It came to this auspicious place and communicated with our goddess. It stayed and followed her.

Lee Ming-cheng
Priest
It’s like a guardian, like a good luck charm. When it appears in our homes, it’s protecting our homes. So if it’s on the incense, it’s guarding the ember.

Geckos are thought as lucky animals that protect the places they visit, and some say they ensure good fortune for those who let them stay.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#gecko #cute #goodluck #goodfortune #protection #animals #lizard

2026-06-09

Site manager of Matai’an Creek project rescued after 15 hours

On Monday noon, the manager for a sediment control dam project along Matai’an Creek in Hualien got washed away in the rain, just as he was driving to the site to evacuate a number of operators. He had only headed out when he suddenly called for help and became unreachable. Rescuers were notified and immediately began searching for him, but only found his off-road vehicle. Only after 9 p.m. was he spotted by a resident of a nearby village. With thermal imaging, he was eventually located and rescued, at almost 5 a.m. the next day.

A thermal imaging camera on a drone captured this thermogram of a person lying on a boulder.

The man, covered in mud, was pulled up onto a life raft. He seems to be conscious still. This is a site manager for Matai’an Creek’s post-disaster reconstruction. He had been missing for 15 hours.

Lu Yen-jung
Hualien County Fire Department
We saw an area with a high thermal gradient. As the device got closer and closer, the red dot gradually took the form of a human, which made us sure that it was the missing person over there.

On Monday afternoon, as water levels surged amid the rain, the site manager for a contracted improvement project along Matai’an Creek got washed away with his off-road vehicle just as he was heading over to the site to pick up excavator operators. He’d called for help on the walkie-talkie and became unreachable shortly after being on the road.

Rescuers initially traced his tracks downstream, where they’d found his vehicle. The car key was still on the switch, and his phone was still inside, but he was nowhere to be found.

At nine in the evening, he was finally spotted by a resident of Atomo. The young man had heard him crying for help and saw him stranded on a boulder. However, it took another six to seven hours for rescuers to wade through the shoal and get him out, at 4:39 a.m. the following day.

Voice of local resident
Atomo
I heard someone crying for help. It came from a distance. Once they were sure that someone was yelling, they went down to the shoal. He responded with calls of “Help me! Help!” They went back and forth about a dozen times before the voices stopped.

Hsu Tzu-herng
Head of ER, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital
He has scratches and bruises all over the body, from the muddy water and sediments. He also has mild cerebral hemorrhage from impact. We referred him to a neurosurgeon, who will check on him as he remains in hospital care.

There’s nearly 10km in distance between where he was reported missing and where he was rescued, after 15 hours of grueling struggle in the open.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#weather #rain #rescue #missing #hualien

2026-06-09

Two dead, two injured in suspected bento shop gas explosion