Qualla: 2015 New Taipei Water Park Fire

2015 New Taipei Water Park Fire: Introduction

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

It was supposed to be the first Saturday of summer vacation. On 27 June 2015, hundreds of university students in swimwear and light clothing gathered at Formosa Fun Coast water park in New Taipei City for "Color Play Asia," a party where colored cornstarch powder was sprayed over dancing crowds. The temperature that afternoon reached 36.6 degrees Celsius. At some point -- investigators would later debate whether the ignition source was a cigarette, a spark, or the sheer ambient heat -- three tons of airborne powder found a flame. The fireball was instantaneous.

2015 New Taipei Water Park Fire: The Scale of the Burns

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The numbers arrived in waves. First reports said hundreds injured. Then the figure climbed past 400, then 508. Most of the victims were university students in their late teens and twenties, and many had been wearing little more than swimsuits in the summer heat. Some suffered bur...

2015 New Taipei Water Park Fire: A Country Responds

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu ordered the water park shut immediately. Taiwan's Premier Mao Chi-kuo banned colored powder at private events nationwide pending investigation. The event organizer, Lu Chung-chi, was questioned and given bail on the condition he not leave the countr...

2015 New Taipei Water Park Fire: Accountability and the Courts

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The investigation revealed that the powder's manufacturer, Tai Won Food Industrial Co., had printed warnings on the packaging: do not use in enclosed spaces or under high temperatures, because the powder can ignite. Organizers had purchased three tons of it. In October 2015, pros...

2015 New Taipei Water Park Fire: What Changed Afterward

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The disaster reshaped Taiwan's approach to public safety at large-scale events. The government eased National Health Insurance requirements for burn victims, ensuring faster coverage in mass-casualty situations. Taiwan imported large quantities of artificial and cadaver skin to r...