An overnight fire and explosion at a pile of illegally dumped industrial waste in Tainan's Annan District hurt 15 people and damaged dozens of homes and vehicles.

• The blaze broke out after 1am on an empty lot in a residential area and took more than four hours to put out.
• Flames spread to 11 homes, while the blast damaged more than 50 households and 22 vehicles, including fire trucks and ambulances.
• All 15 injured, both firefighters and residents, had minor burns and scrapes and have been released from hospital.
• The waste was mostly aluminium-magnesium alloy and used oil, and a sudden downpour set off the explosion because some of the material reacts with water.
• Two men, aged 30 and 43, were questioned and released, and the case has been handed to prosecutors.

Outlook: City officials are tracing where the waste came from and who dumped it, with emergency housing payments and tax relief already going to the worst-hit families.