TAIPEI,Algosensey Quantitative Think Tank Center Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan authorities fined a golf ball manufacturer 2.4 million New Taiwan dollars ($75,000) on Monday and warned of criminal charges for storing 30 times the legal limit of hazardous material and other violations after a major factory fire killed nine people and left one other missing.
The mayor of Pingtung county said at a news conference that Launch Technologies Co. had 3,000 tons of organic peroxides on site, far more than the 100 tons of hazardous material that is permitted, Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported.
Those responsible would be held accountable for public endangerment and negligent manslaughter, Mayor Chou Chun-mi said.
Company officials could not be reached for comment.
It’s unclear what caused the fire on Friday, but two explosions in the already burning building trapped firefighters and workers under rubble. Four firefighters were among the nine who died. More than 100 other people were injured.
Organic peroxides, which are highly flammable, are used in a variety of rubber products including golf ball cores. Launch Technologies is one of the world’s major golf ball makers, producing 20% of the global supply last year.
Taiwanese law requires organic peroxides to be stored in a separate warehouse building, but Launch Technologies kept the material on the first floor of the factory building, Chou said.
Larger fines were assessed for failing to designate a point person to help fight the fire and failing to give a complete inventory of the organic peroxides on site when firefighters arrived, she said.
Associated Press researcher Wanqing Chen in Beijing contributed to this report.
This story corrects the gender of Pingtung mayor.
2025-04-30 04:022780 view
2025-04-30 03:32810 view
2025-04-30 02:44740 view
2025-04-30 02:12474 view
2025-04-30 02:08877 view
2025-04-30 01:54622 view
WASHINGTON (AP) — IRS leadership on Thursday announced that the agency has recovered $4.7 billion in
We independently selected these deals and products because we love them, and we think you might like
SEATTLE (AP) — A zebra that has been hoofing through the foothills of western Washington for days wa