Fire at Taiwan tower block kills at least 46 and dozens more seriously injured

Officials say a fire at a 13-story tower block in southern Taiwan has killed at least 46 people and critically injured dozens more. According to the local fire department, a residential and commercial building in Kaohsiung caught fire in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The fire took firemen more than four hours to put out. According to the BBC, 79 people were rushed to the hospital, with 14 of them in critical condition.

The fire's cause is unknown, and investigators are on the scene. Before the incident, nearby people reported hearing a huge blast that sounded like an explosion.

"The power lines may have been outside... these past few days there have been 'boom' sounds from the power [lines]," one homeowner told the Reuters news agency.

Rescue efforts were hampered by piles of unused objects on the building's lower floors. Later, fire authorities encouraged residents not to allow trash to accumulate in or around their homes, and to keep staircases clear.

Restaurants, karaoke bars, and a theatre were originally housed in the basement level of the structure, but they were apparently no longer in use.

A number of the inhabitants in the 120-unit building are said to be elderly or disabled. Officials had previously warned that people could have been trapped between the seventh and eleventh levels of the building's residential section.

The fire started in the early hours of the morning at a 40-year-old building in Kaohsiung's Yancheng area and was put out before daybreak.

The Kaohsiung fire department announced in a statement that they were able to confirm 46 dead after searching the structure.

The structure, which had previously housed restaurants, karaoke lounges, and a theatre, was partially abandoned, according to Mayor Chen Chi-mai.

The government is looking into the incident, including whether it was caused by arson.