Taiwanese woman may face execution over blaze that killed 46 people
- Fire in southern city of Kaohsiung ripped through multiple floors of run-down 13-storey apartment block
- Prosecutors have indicted woman on murder and arson charges and say she should get the death penalty
October’s inferno in the southern city of Kaohsiung raged through multiple floors of a dilapidated 13-storey apartment block for hours, killing 46 people.
Authorities had said the blaze started when a resident, identified by her family name Huang, left unextinguished incense ashes on a sofa before leaving the building.
Prosecutors on Friday indicted Huang, 51, on murder and arson charges, and said she should get the death penalty for deliberately starting the fire to get back at the boyfriend.
“Huang intended to light a fire to cause an incident and embarrass her boyfriend, leading to a major disaster and the loss of many innocent lives,” the Kaohsiung district prosecutors’ office said in a statement.
“She has shown no remorse and her attitude is bad … [prosecutors] recommend that the court impose capital punishment to serve as a warning.”