The prosecutor accused a woman of leaving burning incense rolls unattended in the Kaohsiung building. Her partner was accused of not reminding her to soak the coil before leaving.

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Authors: Amy Chang Chien and Amy Qin

Chiayi, Taiwan-Last week, the deadliest building fire in Taiwan in more than two decades caused 46 deaths and dozens of injuries. Taiwan prosecutors said a couple was suspected of arson and negligent murder.

Prosecutors accused the 51-year-old woman (with her last name only) of failing to extinguish the incense ring when she left a 13-story mixed-use building in the southern port city of Kaohsiung earlier on Thursday. The 52-year-old man surnamed Guo was accused of failing to remind Ms. Huang to light incense.

The unattended coil was located in her room on the first floor of the building, sparking a fire that quickly engulfed the higher floors, making it difficult for residents-mainly the poor and elderly who were asleep at the time-to escape.

On Friday, the authorities focused on the couple. Kaohsiung prosecutors stated that Ms. Huang was detained after interrogation, while Mr. Guo was released on bail of approximately US$2,000. The two have not been formally charged.

A statement issued by the prosecutor on Monday stated that Ms. Huang “should pay attention to whether the flame is completely extinguished, but she neglected and did not completely extinguish”.

The couple could not be reached for comment. It is unclear whether they have a lawyer.

According to the government-supported Central News Agency, a Kaohsiung court was sentenced to seven months in prison for two teenagers throwing petrol bombs in a debt dispute ten years ago.

In Taiwan, the maximum sentence for reckless arson is one year’s imprisonment, and the maximum sentence for manslaughter is five years’ imprisonment.

The death toll caused by this fire is the second highest death toll among all building fires in Taiwan since a karaoke club in Taichung’s city center in 1995 caused 64 deaths. It has raised widespread concerns about the lax safety standards of aging buildings on the island. The once prosperous building in the Kaohsiung waterfront was built in the 1980s and partially abandoned, but has deteriorated rapidly in recent years.

The fires also highlighted the lack of support for the poor and the elderly who desperately need housing and often have no choice but to live in dilapidated buildings.

Among the residents, it is called "Ghost Building". Piles of rubbish piled up on the lower floors and stairwells, which fire officials said accelerated the spread of the fire and hindered rescue efforts.

When the fire broke out, squatters, gamblers, sex workers, elderly and poor people lived in the building. The average age of those killed in the fire was 62 years old.

On Monday, Taiwan’s Minister of the Interior, Xu Guoyong, ordered local officials to count all the old buildings on the island within one month, and complete the inspection of public safety and fire-fighting facilities in these buildings within three months. In Kaohsiung alone, the authorities have identified at least 34 old buildings as “high risk”.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare also said over the weekend that it has ordered local governments to strengthen services for elderly people living alone in Taiwan. The country’s population is rapidly aging, and by 2025, it is estimated that one in five citizens will be over 65 years old.

The social department of the Kaohsiung City Government also stated that it will provide US$3,200 to each family affected by the fire to help resettlement.