Fire at Taipei karaoke bar kills five

TAIPEI -- A fire at a karaoke bar in Taipei Sunday morning has caused five deaths and injured another 49 as of 4:30 pm, the city's fire department said.

Two of the injured showed no signs of breath before arriving at a hospital and have been in critical condition while seven others were unconscious, the fire department added.

The fire broke out at around 10:57 am on the fifth floor of the 14-floor building, which was part of a karaoke bar, and was put out about half an hour later. A total of 156 people were rescued from the fire while about 200 were evacuated.

A preliminary investigation found that one of the elevators was being repaired and the fire control systems, such as fire alarms, ventilation system and sprinklers, were shut down when the fire broke out, the fire department said.

The actual cause of the fire is still under investigation, the department added.

Cashbox Partyworld Co Ltd, the operator of the karaoke bar, said in a statement that it will fully cooperate with the authorities in the investigation.