Taiwan hospital arson suspect 'upset over illness'

An elderly man suspected of causing a deadly fire in Taiwan says he was upset over his serious illness, according to prosecutors.

The 67-year-old man, identified by his surname Lin, confessed to setting fire to a hospital in the southern city of Tainan, prosecutor Tseng Chao-kai said.

Mr Lin was a patient at the hospital and was detained on Tuesday.

The blaze, which started on the second floor in the early hours of Tuesday, killed 12 and injured 60.

The suspect told authorities that he had lit tissue papers and threw them into a room of clothes, Mr Tseng said.

Footage from security cameras showed a naked man running away from the fire at the hospital that housed elderly and mostly bedridden patients.

He was later found hiding in a storage facility, Mr Tseng added.

A hospital official said the victims died of smoke inhalation.

More than 100 patients, many of whom were on respirators and unable to move on their own, were evacuated.

Thirty fire engines were sent to the blaze, which was extinguished by 04:16 local time (20:16 GMT), just over 45 minutes after it was reported, officials said.

The fire is believed to be one of deadliest at a Taiwanese hospital and one of the most serious on the island in recent years.

- BBC