Officials seek cause of Taiwan building fire that killed 46

By HUIZHONG WU
Associated Press

KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwanese officials have set up an independent commission to investigate the conditions at a run-down building where a fire killed 46 people. Outside the cordoned-off and charred building, a Taoist priest chanted a prayer for the victims. Many were elderly or infirm residents unable to escape the 13-story building after the fire began on the ground floor. City administrators say fire safety inspectors had not been able to access the building recently because the doors were always locked. Authorities are also looking into what caused the fire. Local reports say a resident who allegedly discarded a burning incense coil in a trash can was questioned by police. Of the 46 dead, the mayor says 21 still have not been identified.