Gas Explosion Kills Elderly Bakery Owners in Hsinchu; Daughter Holds Mother's Clothes During Soul-Calling Ritual

A devastating gas explosion in Hsinchu City has claimed the lives of an elderly couple who owned a bakery, after the blast destroyed their shop and the adjacent building where they resided. The powerful explosion ripped through buildings on Gaocui Road in the East District early Tuesday morning, causing the collapse of the bakery's brick walls.

The couple, identified by the surname Wu, were sleeping on the second floor of their bakery when the explosion occurred. They were subsequently buried under the heavy debris. Rescuers found them with no signs of life, and they were pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. The couple were well-loved locals, with the husband having taken over his father's established bakery business to start his own venture.

Their distraught children returned to the scene for a soul-calling ceremony. During the ritual, their daughter tightly held her mother's clothing while calling out to her parents. After the officiant recited scriptures, a single筊 (jiao) of divination was received, signifying an affirmative response and acceptance from the spirits, a moment described as deeply sorrowful.

The explosion left a significant crater in the affected buildings, reducing them to ruins. The blast also impacted neighboring residences and damaged 57 homes and 133 vehicles. Fire officials are investigating the exact cause, but preliminary findings suggest a leak from a liquefied petroleum gas cylinder or its pipeline ignited, possibly by an electrical spark, leading to the catastrophic explosion.

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The daughter held her mother's clothes throughout the soul-calling ceremony, and after the officiant recited scriptures, she received an affirmative response with one筊 (jiao).