Hsinchu city: A suspected gas explosion at a residential building in Hsinchu City early Tuesday morning left two people dead and two others injured, according to the Hsinchu City Fire Bureau. The bureau reported receiving a call about a potential gas leak at approximately 3:52 a.m. Emergency responders arrived on the scene at 4:05 a.m. and confirmed a significant explosion, which led to the deployment of additional personnel to aid in the rescue operations. The exact time of the explosion remains unclear.

According to Focus Taiwan, a 65-year-old man and a 58-year-old woman were found in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and were later pronounced dead at a hospital. Preliminary assessments by the fire bureau indicate that the incident was likely caused by a gas explosion.

Hsinchu Mayor Kao Hung-an informed reporters that the explosion impacted about eight households and 18 residents. She noted that these figures might change, as not all residents were present or accounted for at the time. The city has established a "coordination mechanism" involving local authorities and agencies such as the Department of Civil Affairs and Department of Social Affairs to assist victims and their families with recovery and relocation efforts.

Meanwhile, local ward chief Kuo Peng-hsin announced in a Facebook post that traffic had resumed normal operations following temporary road closures due to the incident.