Authorities in Taiwan have reported that one person remains missing following a fire at a golf ball factory. Earlier in the day, forensic analysis revealed that some bones found at the scene were not human. The blaze, which occurred on Friday night, claimed the lives of nine people, including four firefighters. The factory is operated by Launch Technologies Co., a major global supplier of golf balls.
Initially, authorities had announced that the remains of two people were discovered on Sunday morning, with a third person found in the afternoon, bringing the death toll to 10. However, it was later determined that the bones from the morning were non-human.
The cause of the fire, which resulted in over 100 injuries, is still unknown. An explosion caused part of the building to collapse, trapping firefighters and workers under the rubble. A second explosion occurred 20 minutes later. Firefighters battled the blaze until Saturday when it was finally extinguished.
Taiwan is a significant manufacturing hub for golf balls, supplying major brands such as Callaway, TaylorMade, Bridgestone, Mizuno, and Wilson. Launch Technologies, a listed company on the Taipei Exchange, shipped approximately 260 million golf balls last year, accounting for one-fifth of the global total. The majority of its sales, about 80 percent, are in the United States.
Following the tragic incident, the Ministry of Labor announced that an investigation into occupational safety would be conducted on Launch Technologies and its parent company. The factory has previously faced fines for violations discovered during inspections.
In response to the fire, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen visited Pingtung County and met with the victims and their families. The incident has raised concerns about workplace safety in the country’s manufacturing sector.