TAIPEI, Taiwan – A fire raged through the top floors of a high-rise building Saturday in the central city of Taichung (search), killing at least four people before it was extinguished, officials said.
Rescue workers found the bodies of a 40-year-old security guard and three other employees of the Gold Plaza Tower (search), officials said.
Located close to the railway station, the 25-floor building is crowned by a revolving restaurant. The blaze was visible from far away.
No information on what caused the fire was available, but officials said it apparently started on the 18th floor and moved upward. It was not known if the blaze began inside the disco on that floor. The club can contain more than 2,000 people but was not operating when the fire erupted, officials said.
Television footage showed flames and thick black smoke billowing out of the top floors. Two helicopters rescued nine people from the roof, officials said.
People on the street fled the building covering their heads with bags to protect themselves from falling glass.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox