Second person dies after Taiwan waterpark party explosion

A second person has died after being engulfed by a fireball that injured nearly 500 people at a waterpark outside Taiwan’s capital, Taipei last weekend as a court froze the assets of organisers to ensure they pay out victims.

Student Liu Chih-wei, 19, suffered burns to almost his entire body in the incident, which saw crowds of young revellers overtaken by flames after being sprayed with clouds of multi-coloured corn starch which then ignited during a 'color play' party at the Formosa Fun Coast waterpark.

On Thursday (2nd July) a doctor at the hospital in the central city of Taichung told reporters "Liu died this morning.

“More than 95% of his skin was burnt and his respiratory system damaged when he was admitted to hospital.

"After emergency treatment his family did not want to see him suffering any more and decided to let him go."

Another victim, 20-year-old Lee Pei-yun, who had suffered 90% burns, died on Monday.

Media reported that Lee's 12-year-old brother was also hospitalised with 80% burns.

Around 1,000 spectators were at the event, with more than 200 who sustained serious injuries being treated across 43 hospitals.

Amateur footage showed partygoers dancing by a stage when the clouds of powder exploded into flames which swept through the crowd.

Some tried to douse the blaze with fire extinguishers and to put out burning victims who were running screaming for their lives.

Three suspects have been released on bail as prosecutors investigate them on charges of offences against public safety and negligence causing severe injuries.

A court injunction on Thursday froze $Tw169 million ($7.2 million) in assets belonging to the waterpark, the event organiser and the event marketing company after an application by 13 of the injured.

The verdict from Taipei's Shihlin District Court stated “the court approved the application for injunction, with each one of the injured being authorised to freeze up to $Tw13 million,"

New Taipei City Government Legal Affairs bureau chief of the Huang Yi-teng praised the Court’s swift decision, saying "it would help prevent the three companies from ducking their obligation by selling their assets in advance".

While it has yet to emerge exactly how the blast was triggered, authorities have speculated that heat from the stage lighting or cigarettes could have ignited the corn starch.

The company that supplied the corn starch to Color Play Asia claimed it had warned of its flammability.

Image: Crowds at an earlier 'color play' party at the Formosa Fun Coast waterpark

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