Kaohsiung: Fire at Taiwan tower block kills at least 46

By Lauren Chalouhi

Around 46 people died in a fire and dozens seriously injured in a fire at a 13 story building block in the south of Taiwan.

It took firefighters more than four hours to put out the fire. The fire department told BBC that 79 people have been taken to the hospital, and 14 of those are in serious condition.

The cause of the fire is still unclear and investigators are at the scene. Officials earlier warned that people might have been trapped in the residential part of the building. Between the 7th and 11th floor.

Nearby residents told the media they heard a loud bang that sounded like an explosion before the fire occurred.

Piles of unused items on the lower floor of the building made it harder to rescue.