Tainan's city government is stepping in to help residents after an explosion at a scrap yard damaged nearly a hundred homes, which is good news for victims but bad news for the operator being pursued.

• An explosion at a pile of dumped waste on empty land tore through a Tainan neighborhood, wrecking homes nearby.
• The city is hiring the bar association to file a class action lawsuit on behalf of residents and recover money from those responsible.
• The scrap metal operator's owner appears to have vanished, so the city is tracking down any property held by him and people connected to him.
• Eleven households burned out of their homes are staying at a city service center, with supplies and charity help coming in.
• The mayor decided the city will pay upfront for emergency repairs and housing, then bill the operator later.

Outlook: Power-of-attorney forms go out to affected families this week, starting the legal push to make the operator pay.