Four people have been killed and 26 injured in a suspected gas explosion at a Taiwan department store in the central city of Taichung on Thursday.
The blast on the twelfth floor of the Taichung Shin Kong Mitsukosh building caused damage from the ninth floor upwards, spraying large pieces of debris over the street below.
The National Fire Agency said two of the dead and five injured were tourists from Macau.
The floor, containing a food court, was closed for construction work at the time of the incident, it said in a statement.
More than 55 vehicles, 136 people, a dog and a drone were sent to carry out search and rescue efforts.
Taichung Fire Bureau Chief Sun Fu-you said the blast appeared to have been caused by gas but it was unclear if it was related to the construction work.
Shin Kong Mitsukoshi president Richard Wu said the company was "very shocked and very sad" about the incident.
"We will do our best to take all responsibilities for the parts we are responsible for," he said.
Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen told reporters she had been working in the city government building next door when she felt a "vibration" at around 11:30 am.
"The explosion is very serious and the rescue is ongoing," Lu said.
Lu said the explosion had affected a wide area and at least one passer-by was among the victims.
One of the injured was in intensive care in hospital, the health ministry said.
Liao Yu-fu, 26, said he was woken from a nap by the sound of the explosion and thought it was a "plane hitting a house".
"There was a vibration and even my bed was shaking," said Liao, who can see the department store from his home.
"The sound lasted for a long time and I was scared."
Writing on his Facebook page, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te called for a speedy investigation into the cause of the blast.
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