A fire broke out Tuesday morning at a petrochemical plant run by Formosa Plastics Group in Mailiao, Yunlin County. Three people were injured. All three have been taken to hospitals and are in stable condition.
Firefighters say the blaze occurred at a hydrodesulfurization factory. Hydrodesulfurization is a process used to remove sulfur from natural gas and refined petroleum products. The fire burned over 2,000 square meters and nearly 80 firefighters and 20 vehicles were dispatched to the site in response.
Formosa Petrochemical Corp. President Tsao Mihn says a preliminary investigation found that the accident resulted from a glitch in a residue hydrodesulfurization system that caused a seal leak.
The plant will be fined NT$5 million for air pollution. It must also release a report on the accident within three days.