An overnight fire and explosion at a vacant lot in Tainan's Annan District damaged around 40 nearby homes, hitting buyers of a brand-new townhouse row that had not even been fully handed over yet.

• The fire started in a waste pile believed to contain furnace slag, then blew up violently as crews were putting it out.
• A row of newly built townhouses took damage before all the units were delivered to their owners.
• Car owners who had parked on the lot arrived to find their vehicles burned out.
• Power crews restored electricity to most homes, though badly burned units are still too dangerous to reconnect.
• Soldiers moved in to help with cleanup, and charity groups delivered supplies and meals door to door.

Outlook: Cleanup and power restoration continue, with attention likely turning to how flammable slag waste ended up piled on an open lot near housing.