Taiwan arrests suspect in hospital fire that killed 12 people
On October 24, Taiwanese authorities arrested an elderly man suspected of causing an arson attack that killed 12 people and injured 60 others yesterday.
Beimen Hospital scene after the fire
A fire broke out early Tuesday morning at the Beimen Nursing Hospital in the city.
A 67-year-old man surnamed Lin, who was also a patient at the hospital, said he burned rubbish and threw it into a room full of clothes, inspector Tseng Chao-kai said. Lin said he felt really depressed because he was seriously ill. Initial assessments showed he did not have any mental problems, according to the newspaper.China Times, Lin had colon and rectal cancer.
Inspector Tseng said police found Mr. Lin just hours after the fire in a vacant house near the hospital with a lighter in his pocket and arrested him after questioning. Mr. Tseng said the man, who had been described as a threat to flights, had apparently tried to destroy evidence and would face charges of murder and arson if his admissions were confirmed.
Surveillance cameras captured the moment after the fire broke out, showing hospital staff scrambling to put out the flames while elderly patients struggled to escape in wheelchairs. Fire officials believe the fire may have started in a warehouse on the second floor of the five-story building.
According to health officials, as of October 24, 58 victims were still hospitalized. The hospital's lack of night shift staff was also a factor in the high number of casualties. At the time of the fire, there were only 6 night shift staff while 70 patients were bedridden.
According to Dan Tri-M
