Four people were injured when scaffolding collapsed at the old Beitou market demolition site in Taipei, Taiwan, prompting a stop-work order and plans for wider scaffold safety inspections across the city.
The collapse happened on Tuesday 3 November. Emergency services were called at 10.35am and the injured were taken to hospital.
In a statement, Taipei City Government said investigators would examine the demolition work, scaffold height and fixing arrangements to establish whether requirements had been met. The cause remains under investigation.
The city said its New Construction Office had imposed a NT$2.5m contractual penalty on the construction contractor and was reviewing the supervision of the project.
Labour inspectors are also examining site protection, scaffold installation and the employer’s safety management arrangements.
The response extends beyond the market site. The city said it would expand safety inspections of scaffolding across Taipei and penalise breaches identified.
Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported that Shilin prosecutors and Beitou police had formed a joint investigation team. Investigators visited the site that afternoon and instructed police to preserve evidence and obtain relevant records to establish whether contractors or construction personnel bore criminal responsibility.
The city said it was recording damage to nearby stalls and shops and would require the project team to arrange repairs and compensation.
Separately, figures released by Taiwan’s Ministry of Labour on 3 November show that 102 construction workers died in major occupational accidents in the first nine months of 2026, nine more than in the same period last year.
Falls accounted for 62% of fatal construction accidents, while subcontractor workers made up more than 70% of construction deaths, the ministry said.
