Huang is a 51 year old woman and Kuo is a 42 year old man, both from the city of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. They have been accused of homicide after a fire at a so-called “ghost building” killed 46 people.
Huang And Kuo Ghost Building Fire Investigation
Huang And Kuo Accused Of Homicide After Incense Coil Fire. “The prosecutors accused the 51-year-old woman, who was identified only by her surname, Huang, of failing to extinguish an incense coil when she left the 13-story mixed-used building in the southern port city of Kaohsiung early Thursday. The 52-year-old man, surnamed Kuo, was accused of failing to remind Ms. Huang to put out the incense.’ [NY Times]
Report: Huang Admitted Lighting Incense Coil. “Huang told prosecutors that she then returned to the room and continued to drink alone. During this time, she admitted to lighting a sandalwood incense coil to repel mosquitoes but denied intentionally committing arson, reported FTV News.” [Taiwan News]
46 Killed In Fire At Kaohsiung Ghost Building. “Early on Thursday, a fire tore through the 13-story building in Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s main port city, killing at least 46 people and injuring dozens. The blaze, Taiwan’s deadliest in decades, underscored concerns about the island’s lax safety standards.” [NY Times]
Elderly Taiwanese At Risk In Ghost Buildings. “The Kaohsiung building is one of many aging structures across the island that have fallen into severe disrepair as a result of weak management and government neglect. On Friday, local officials said they had identified 34 “high-risk” older buildings in the city that they would be inspecting for safety and fire-code violations.” [NY Times]
One of the first political bloggers in the world, Oliver Willis has operated OliverWillis.com since 2000. Contributor at Media Matters for America and The American Independent. Follow on Twitter at @owillis. Full bio.