According to Reuters, an explosion and fire at Panasonic Industrial Devices Materials' PCB factory in Hsinchu, Taiwan, killed 2 people and injured 5 on November 5. The incident occurred at 2 am local time at the five-story facility, where over 20 workers were on the production lines. Two employees were initially reported missing and later confirmed dead after emergency crews used heavy machinery to search factory debris.
Twelve vehicles and 23 firefighters responded to the accident. Initial reports suggested flammable chemical solvents, including methanol and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), may have contributed to the explosion, though the precise cause remains under investigation. The facility had passed a safety inspection in August.