Video Captures Chaos of Deadly Gas Explosions in Kaohsiung

Multiple gas explosions in downtown Kaohsiung, Taiwan, led to four deaths and over 180 people injured, according to reports just after midnight on Friday, August 1. Many in the area were evacuated to emergency shelters, the southern municipality’s fire department said in a statement.

The explosions on Kaisuan Road and Ersheng Road were reportedly triggered by gas leaks in the district’s sewage system late Thursday evening.

Eyewitnesses said a white fog began rising in the streets around 9 pm, followed by blasts that rocked Cianjhen, Lingya, Siaogang and Cianjin districts.

This video captures the sounds of chaos in the streets of Taiwan — multiple blasts, screams, car alarms and sirens. The uploader, who filmed the footage from the ninth floor, described the scene as “gas explosions just around the corner… cracked pavement, flares burst” and “one by one drain covers burst into flames, air smells of smoke.” Credit: Facebook/Reginald Studio