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One of the top stories from this past week was the aftermath of a devastating explosion at a water park in New Taipei City, which injured 500 people. The incident occurred 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 had died. Another 400 people were still in hospital, including 255 people in intensive care and burn units, of which more than 210 in critical condition.
Premier Mao Chi-kuo said the coming days are critical, and that the government will ensure that the victims have the best medical care.
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Also this past week, the foreign ministry announced that President Ma Ying-jeou will visit three of Taiwan’s allies in Central America and the Caribbean in July.
President Ma’s trip will begin on July 11th and will include stops in the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Nicaragua. He will make transit stops in Boston and Los Angeles, and is scheduled to return to Taiwan on July 18.
The president will lead an 85-member delegation that will include Foreign Minister David Lin and National Security Council Secretary-General Kao Hua-chu, as well as other ministers, legislators, and representatives from the business sector.
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And finally, this past week, Taiwanese violinist Benny Tseng was awarded the silver medal in the violin category of the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow on Wednesday. No one won the gold medal which meant that Tseng won the top prize. It was also the first time that a Taiwanese won in the prestigious competition.
Tseng, who is 20 years old, has been seen as a musical prodigy ever since he was little. He never studied music, yet since he was 13 years old, he has won at major competitions including the Menuhin International Violin Competition and the Queen Elizabeth International Competition.