TAICHUNG: A six-year-old Japanese girl sustained injuries from firework debris during a New Year's Eve celebration in Taichung City, raising concerns about event safety after footage captured debris falling into the crowd. The girl received immediate medical attention on-site before being transported to China Medical University Hospital (CMUH).
According to Focus Taiwan, the child arrived at the hospital's emergency department around 1 a.m. on Wednesday. She was treated by an ophthalmologist for a first-degree burn located below her eyelid and subsequently discharged. Follow-up consultations have been scheduled at an outpatient clinic to monitor her recovery.
Taichung City Councilor Huang Shou-da, representing the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), openly criticized the city government, led by the Kuomintang (KMT), for not ensuring safety at the event. Huang highlighted that the city has hosted fireworks displays at Taichung Central Park numerous times, suggesting that the government should have the necessary experience to manage such events effectively.
The councilor labeled the city government's actions as "incompetent," questioning whether the incident stemmed from inadequate planning regarding the landing zone for firework debris or insufficient on-site management. The New Year's Eve celebration, organized by the city at the park, was anticipated to attract around 200,000 attendees.
At 9:45 p.m., the city government issued mobile alerts to notify attendees that the central stadium had reached full capacity, implementing entrance controls to avoid potential stampedes. On Wednesday, Taichung City's Fire Bureau reported that a loose mounting bracket used to stabilize a fireworks launch tube likely caused the incident. This malfunction led to incorrect launch angles, reducing the safety distance between the debris and the crowd.
The fireworks display was subcontracted by Sanlih E-Television Co., Ltd., and the manufacturer will be fined NT$100,000 (US$3,052) for breaching the Fireworks Management Act, according to the Fire Bureau.