A late-night fire broke out at Yuanshan Hardware and Building Materials Store in Yilan, killing a family of six and four people OHCA

A fire broke out in a hardware and building materials store in Yuanshan Township, Yilan County last night. A large number of flammable objects were placed in the house, and the fire got out of control. (Photo by reporter Jiang Zhixiong)

A fire broke out at a time-honored hardware and building materials store in Yuanshan Township, Yilan County at about 10 o'clock last night. The owner surnamed You escaped from the third floor in a panic. You's mother was rescued on the back balcony of the second floor. A total of four people, the old father, his wife, and a pair of children were trapped in the fire scene. After a three-hour search and rescue, firefighters carried out You's father, wife, and two children one after another at 1:36 a.m. today (4th). All four people were OHCA and were sent to the hospital for rescue by ambulance.

The fire-damaged hardware and building materials store was located in the 3-story Touting House opposite Yuanshan Junior High School. The 51-year-old owner surnamed You, his 52-year-old wife, 15-year-old son, and 13-year-old daughter slept in a tin house built on the third floor. The 82-year-old father and 74-year-old mother slept on the second floor. At around 10 o'clock last night, there was a sudden explosion on the first floor, and then a fire broke out.

Due to the large amount of flammable materials placed in the house, the fire got out of control and flames spread upwards from the first floor. The owner surnamed You smelled a burnt smell and climbed from his room on the third floor to the top floor of the supermarket next door to have a look. Soon, thick smoke filled the house, making it impossible to enter the house to save people.

After receiving the report at 10:36 p.m., the fire department dispatched a ladder truck and a large number of firefighters to block the road and extinguish the fire. They rescued the owner's mother, surnamed You, from the back balcony of the second floor. You's mother was conscious and sent to the hospital for treatment. You's father was found on the second floor at 1:36 this morning, but he had lost his vital signs. The ceiling of the room on the third floor collapsed, and his wife and a pair of children were not found for a long time. It was only at 2:05 that they were found one after another. A family of six, a total of four people, OHCA, was found.

The fire department's ladder truck blocked the road to put out the fire. (Photo by reporter Jiang Zhixiong)

A large number of people gathered at the scene of the fire to watch. (Photo by reporter Jiang Zhixiong)