9 dead, 44 injured in Southern Taiwan building fire

Kaohsiung [Taiwan], October 14 : Nine people were reported dead and 44 injured due to a fire eruption in a 13-storey building in Kaohsiung, Southern Taiwan on Thursday, local media reported.
The building caught fire at around 02:54 AM (Local Time). The fire was put out at 07:17 AM, with the 159 firefighters taking part in the operation to extinguish the fire, Xinhua reported citing the Central News Agency (CNA).
The building is reported partially commercial and partially residential.
The conflagration erupted on the ground floor and soon caught the whole building on fire. The local authorities said that over 100 people lived in the residential apartments and the majority of them were senior citizens who face difficulties leaving the building, Xinhua reported.
The rescue operation is underway.