Premier Mao Chi-kuo made a trip to a hospital in southern Taiwan on Friday to visit the victims of last week’s explosion in New Taipei City.
Some 500 people were injured during a party at a water park when colored powder that was sprayed on partygoers exploded and burst into flames. The powder was made of cornstarch, which is flammable.
As of Friday, a second person has died. Another 400 people are still in hospital, including 255 people in intensive care and burn units, of which more than 210 in critical condition.
In his trip to National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Premier Mao said the government is ensuring that there are adequate personnel and supplies to take care of the injured.
“If you take National Cheng Kung University Hospital as an example, the head of the hospital, Superintendent Yang, told me that they have absolutely no problems when it comes to staffing and supplies, and they are doing their best to treat the injured," said Mao.
"I think the coming few days are critical, and we will provide them with the best medical care," he said. "We hope that everyone can pray for them. The medical teams, the health ministry, and society as a whole are ready to help. We are all hoping for the best for them.”
Mao also responded to questions about why the government decided to use a special emergency reserve fund to pay for medical care for the victims. He said that the health ministry had expressed concerns about funding, and about medical personnel working overtime. Mao said he did not want funding to be a concern in dealing with the crisis.