By KHT Staff
KAOHSIUNG — The annual Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival in Tainan ended early Wednesday morning with 36 people reported injured, a figure officials said was lower than in previous years.
Authorities said 30 people were injured by fireworks, while six others suffered unrelated injuries during the event. Officials said the injuries were generally minor and that the event concluded safely overall.
The Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival (鹽水蜂炮), held each year during the Lantern Festival period, is one of Taiwan’s best-known folk religious celebrations and frequently draws international media attention. This year, more than 200 large and small “beehive” firework towers were ignited in succession.
Tainan Deputy Mayor Chiang Lin-huang (姜淋煌) said the city government activated an emergency response center at the Yanshui police station starting at 3 p.m. Tuesday to coordinate safety operations and respond to potential incidents. Multiple municipal departments worked together throughout the night as the festivities unfolded.
Despite the Lantern Festival falling on a weekday this year, attendance remained strong. Organizers at Yanshui Wu Temple (鹽水武廟), the religious center of the event, estimated that more than 600,000 people visited the district during the celebrations.
Source: Liberty Times
