Man Injured by Falling Arcade Ceiling in Taipei; Construction Office Fines Owner NT$120,000

The Taipei City Fire Department received a report at 11:58 a.m. about an accident occurring in the arcade of an apartment building near Section 1 of Zhongshan North Road, opposite the Zhongshan First Precinct of the Taipei City Police Department. Personnel dispatched to the scene found a man in his 50s lying on the ground suffering from body pain. The injured man was conscious before being sent to the hospital.

According to preliminary understanding, the man was struck and injured by a falling wooden ceiling board while walking past the incident area. Fortunately, it did not result in a more severe tragedy. The exact cause of the incident is yet to be clarified.

The Taipei City Construction Management Office responded via a text statement that regarding the fallen arcade ceiling of the residential building on Zhongshan North Road Section 1, Zhongshan District, personnel had been sent to inspect the site, and warning tapes had been set up.

The Construction Management Office stated that because the business owner failed to fulfill the responsibility of maintaining and managing the building, resulting in the wooden ceiling board falling and injuring a citizen, they have violated the Building Act. They will be fined NT$120,000 according to the law to safeguard public safety. (Editor: Chen Jen-hua) 1150410