Five injured, two missing in fire at Panasonic factory in Hsinchu County

A fire broke out at a Panasonic Holdings Corp production site in Hukou Township, Hsinchu County, early yesterday, injuring five workers and leaving two missing. Rescue operations are ongoing, and the cause of the blaze is under investigation.

A fire at a Panasonic Holdings Corp production site in Hsinchu County left five people injured and two missing early yesterday, the county's fire bureau said.

The blaze broke out at 2am at Panasonic's five-story factory on Guangfu Road in Hukou Township, the Hsinchu County Fire Bureau reported. The building had a steel frame and sheet-metal walls.

The five injured men — three Taiwanese and two Vietnamese — were conscious and taken to a hospital. A 49-year-old man surnamed Hu reported pain in his right chest and burns on his left forearm. A 35-year-old Vietnamese man surnamed Nguyen sustained facial burns, a head laceration and a fracture on his right foot. A 35-year-old man surnamed Hsieh and a 30-year-old Vietnamese man surnamed Nguyen had difficulty breathing and chest pain. A 29-year-old man surnamed Lee sustained facial abrasions.

Rescue workers were still searching for the two missing Taiwanese employees, the bureau said. The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage are still being investigated.

Panasonic Industrial Devices Materials Taiwan Co, which operates the site, conducts research and development and manufactures printed circuit boards and semiconductor packaging materials, local media reported.