TAICHUNG, Taiwan – July 31, 2025 — A fire that broke out early Thursday morning at a beef noodle shop in Taichung’s Taiping District claimed the lives of a 58-year-old man and his 2-year-old granddaughter, according to local authorities.
The victims, identified as Mr. Hsieh, the shop’s owner, and his young granddaughter, were rushed to the hospital but were declared dead on arrival.
Three other members of the family — a 1-year-old boy, a 29-year-old man, and a 52-year-old woman — were also pulled from the burning structure. They were successfully resuscitated and are currently confined in the intensive care unit, police confirmed.
The noodle shop, located in a three-story concrete building with an added metal-sheet rooftop structure, was home to Hsieh, his wife, their eldest son, and two grandchildren. All were inside during the fire, said the Taiping Precinct of the Taichung City Police Department.
Emergency services received a distress call at around 6:05 a.m., and firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control by 7:05 a.m.
Initial investigations by the Taichung City Fire Department indicate the fire likely began in the kitchen area at the rear of the shop on the ground floor. However, the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Authorities continue to examine the scene as the community mourns the loss of two lives in what is being described as one of the district’s most heartbreaking incidents this year.
