On Thursday night (14th), a forest fire broke out near the Datong Mountain Observation Deck in Shulin District, New Taipei City, Taiwan. The incident is believed to have been caused by a 20-year-old man surnamed Xie, who climbed a high-voltage power tower to take sunset photos and was electrocuted, which subsequently set off a fire and caused nearby power outages.
Taiwanese media reported that Xie and a female friend of the same age, surnamed Shang, had gone out to enjoy the sunset at the Datong Mountain Observation Deck. In search of the perfect angle to capture the sunset against the background of silver grass, Xie climbed up the high-voltage power tower. Unexpectedly, he was electrocuted and died on the spot, and a fire broke out. Shang witnessed the incident and immediately called the police for help.
The flames ignited by the electrocution quickly set the silver grass on fire, resulting in parts of Datong Mountain being engulfed in flames. The scene was extremely alarming.
It is understood that police found Xie’s last photo on Shang's mobile phone, confirming that he had climbed the power tower to take sunset pictures, and was electrocuted, causing flames to break out at his feet. The fire then spread to the surrounding area, resulting in the forest fire.
Taiwan Power Company stated that at 6:27 p.m. on the 14th, a power supply line in the New Taipei area tripped, causing power outages for two households nearby. After switching routes, power was restored by 6:33 p.m.