500 injured as fire hits Taiwan water park party

In this screen grab taken from UGC by Apple Daily Taiwan, concert goers run as a fire starts at the Formosa Water Park in New Taipei City, Taiwan, Saturday, June 27, 2015. The New Taipei City fire department says hundreds of people were injured in an accidental explosion of colored theatrical powder Saturday night near a performance stage where about 1,000 people were gathered for party. AP

TAIPEI, Taiwan — A fire on a music stage spread into a crowd of spectators at a party Saturday night at a Taiwan water park, injuring about 500 people, authorities said.

An accidental explosion of an unknown powder set off the fire near the stage in front of about 1,000 people, said Wang Wei-sheng, a liaison with the New Taipei City fire department command center.

Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported 474 have been injured, quoting the Health Ministry. They included four mainland Chinese and two foreigners.

Wang said 141 people had serious injuries.

The stage caught fire at the Formosa Water Park in New Taipei City near the island’s capital and was quickly brought under control.

Video showed rescue workers and bystanders carrying burned and injured people on their backs, in inflatable boats and on stretchers to get medical treatment.

Emergency rescue workers and concert spectators tend to injured victims from an explosion during a music concert at the Formosa Water Park in New Taipei City, Taiwan, Saturday, June 27, 2015. AP

CNA reported witnesses as saying the fire spread quickly after the colored powder was blown into the air.

It wasn’t clear if the colored powder was part of a performance. The cause of the fire is being investigated.

Originally posted at 9:21 a.m., June 28, 2015
Updates number of injured