Nine people jump for their lives as fire breaks out in BBQ restaurant

Nine people jump for their lives as fire breaks out in BBQ restaurant

2026-09-21

On Sunday evening, a fire broke out at a yakiniku restaurant in Sanchong District, New Taipei City. The fire quickly spread from the first floor to the second and third floors. Nine people, including employees and customers, were trapped on the second floor and jumped out of the window to escape. Fortunately, they only suffered minor injuries.

Large black smoke billowed from the barbecue restaurant, followed by bursts of bright orange-red flames. The raging fire quickly became uncontrollable.

The fire quickly spread to the second floor, and diners had no time to flee, leaving them no choice but to jump out of the windows. A man was seen waving his hands on the first floor. People jumped down one after another, creating a dangerous situation.

Police and firefighters rushed to the scene and confirmed that everyone had been evacuated. They immediately extinguished the fire, but the people who had escaped were still shaken.

Voice of diner
Escaped fire
Halfway through the meal, the fire at the next table over suddenly began to get bigger, with white smoke coming out. The staff tried to put out the fire, but it was not working, and then a lot more white smoke began coming out.

At around 8 in the evening, in New Taipei’s Sanchong District, a fire broke out at the Chongxin Road branch of a popular chain yakiniku restaurant owned by Jhu Jian Catering Group. During dinnertime, the restaurant had more than 30 people. The fire spread from the first floor to the third floor, at the time one employee and eight diners were trapped. They jumped from the second floor to escape. A man in his 50s suffered pain in his lower back and right ankle; a teenager had inhaled a lot of smoke. The others suffered minor injuries, and were all rushed to the hospital.

Voice of diner
Escaped fire
The fire began at the stove. There was a stove beneath, and the fire suddenly grew. Staff tried to calm the fire by using fire extinguishers. After, they noticed the white smoke was getting bigger.

The three-story building that caught fire had a burning area of 250 square meters. However, the fire reignited in the warehouse later that night at 11pm and again early the next morning at 3am. Firefighters continued to spray water to cool the building.

After the fire, the entire restaurant was charred black and burnt. Fire investigators returned to the scene to investigate the cause of the fire.

Ma Sheng-chieh
FTV Reporter
After the fire broke out, the first and second floors of the restaurant were completely destroyed. The fire even spread to the hot pot restaurant next door, where the second-floor windows were broken and the interior was charred black.

Furthermore, a nearby Japanese massage parlor was also affected, with one employee suffering from smoke inhalation injuries and still receiving treatment in the hospital.

Mr. Chen
Shop owner affected by fire
Some of the staff had smoke inhalation injuries, and it seems that if it had continued, they would have suffered from rhabdomyolysis. We didn’t realize how serious it was.

This is not the first time a fire has broken out at this yakiniku restaurant. According to the fire department, this branch has experienced three fires in the last three years.

Jhu Jian Catering Group stated the store has a total of seven fire extinguishers and a descent control system on the second floor. The alarm system functioned normally at the time of the fire, and the fire equipment passed checks in May. However, since the floor area of the restaurant does not exceed 1,500 square meters, sprinkler systems are not required. Jhu Jian Catering Group also stated that the cause of the fire is still under investigation by relevant authorities and they will fully cooperate with the investigation.

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