A Taiwanese event organizer has been sentenced to four years and 10 months in prison for his role in throwing a party at a water park which resulted in 15 deaths last year, a court says.
The party, organized by Lu Chung-chi’s company Color Play Asia at the Formosa Fun Coast water park outside Taipei on June 27 last year, ended in tragedy when colored powder sprayed over revelers ignited under the heat of a spotlight, causing a series of deadly explosions.
Fifteen people died, 331 were seriously injured and 135 suffered less severe injuries, according to a statement from the Shilin District Court. Most of the victims were in their teens and early 20s.
The court said that Lu had failed to prevent the explosions, saying that as the organizer of the event, he “knew there were potential risks of explosion with the colored powder and that it may cause harm to participants at the party.”
“According to the law, he had the responsibility to stop using the powder and to ensure safety when providing his services, and he failed to carry out that responsibility,” said the statement.
The court said that Lu had left the stage at 7 p.m. on the night of the explosions, but did not tell his friend to stop spraying the color powder onto the crowd. Packets of the powder were also handed out to partygoers.
