Taiwan Party Organizer Sentenced to Nearly 5 Years in Water Park Fire
By AUSTIN RAMZY

HONG KONG — The organizer of a party at a water park in Taiwan last year that ended with a fiery explosion that killed 15 people and injured hundreds was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for negligence on Tuesday.

The so-called Color Play Party at the Formosa Fun Coast park in New Taipei City in June featured tons of colored powder that was thrown over participants as they listened to music and danced. But the material was flammable, and it ignited when it was blown over a hot electric light, the Shihlin District Court said in its ruling.

Color Play Asia, the company that organized the party, had said the powder was a mixture of cornstarch and food coloring.

Lu Chung-chi, the owner of Color Play Asia, was found guilty of negligence and sentenced to four years and 10 months in prison. Last year, he apologized for the disaster.

In addition to those killed, all of whom initially survived but succumbed to injuries in the ensuing days, 331 people sustained serious burns and injuries and 135 people had less severe injuries.

“Most of these victims were young, their beautiful lives just about to begin, beautiful dreams yet to be achieved, promising futures yet to be created,” the court said in a statement on the sentencing. “Because of the explosion, 15 lost their lives, and the majority of the survivors are subject to enormous physical and mental pain and suffering.”

Relatives of some of the victims protested outside the court on Tuesday, calling for justice in the case, Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported.

The mother of Liu Chih-wei, 19, who died of severe burns, denounced Mr. Lu. “You can die 15 times and be burned 499 times over and still not understand our pain,” she said, according to the news agency.

八仙塵爆 呂忠吉「重」判4年10月

「八仙塵爆」造成十五死、四百六十六傷，士林地院認為主辦單位「玩色創意」負責人呂忠吉犯後態度尚可，但未至靈堂向往生者致意，也沒探視被害人，有意願賠償卻沒提出賠償計畫，難認有道歉與賠償之誠意，依業務過失致死罪判刑四年十月。

呂忠吉昨天沒到庭聽判，但他在宣判前曾表示，每個人都有先入為主的印象，不管怎樣都尊重法官、尊重判決。他的律師陳君瑋認為刑責過重，將上訴。另，被害人及家屬共四百廿九人對呂忠吉、玩色創意、瑞博國際等提起刑事附帶民事求償二○九億元案，合議庭裁定移送民事庭審理。

判決指出，呂忠吉透過友人周宏瑋掛名開設的瑞博國際整合行銷公司，租用八仙樂園「歡樂海岸」、「快樂大堡礁」區域，於去年六月廿七日舉辦「Color Play Asia—彩色派對」，以噴灑色粉當噱頭開趴，賣出四千多張門票，每張近千元。

當晚八點卅二分活動尾聲，舞台前方空中、地面發生粉塵爆燃意外，許多參與者身陷火海，體無完膚。士林地檢署根據消防署等單位鑑定，確認是架設在舞台前端的電腦燈吸入紫色色粉，燈泡高溫表面引燃才造成塵爆，依業務過失致死及業務過失傷害罪嫌起訴呂忠吉。

法院審理時，呂不斷喊冤，稱案發時他並不在現場，是來觀摩的友人沈浩然逕自搬色粉上舞台，還找志工拿二氧化碳鋼瓶朝色粉堆噴灑，才釀悲劇。但法院認為呂忠吉知悉色粉有引發塵爆危險卻未注意，也沒隔離電腦燈等熱源，過失行為與塵爆有因果關係，因此要負責。

法院認為，被害人多數年紀尚輕，正值青春年華，美好人生剛要開始，卻因塵爆意外中斷，除了往生被害人家屬椎心之痛，倖存被害人多數歷經清創、換藥、植皮手術，承受生不如死之疼痛，每日復健更需忍受皮膚拉扯之疼痛…汪姓被害人之父親還因壓力過大而自殺。

呂忠吉犯後態度尚可，但案發至今未曾到往生者靈堂致意，亦未前往探視被害人，難認有道歉之誠意。呂雖於法院審理時表達有意願與被害人家屬和解，但迄今未提出具體可行賠償計劃，僅表示願提供未來工作薪資之一半及保險理賠金賠償，難認有和解賠償之誠意，因此重判。

另外，士檢之前對八仙董座陳柏廷等八人處分不起訴案，已由高檢署發回續查。

原文參照：
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/27/world/asia/taiwan-water-park-explosion.html

紐約時報中文版翻譯：
http://cn.nytimes.com/china/20160427/c27taiwan/zh-hant/

Video：Prison Sentence in Taiwan Party Fire
The organizer of a party last year at a water park in Taiwan was sentenced on Tuesday to nearly five years in prison, after a fiery explosion at the party's end killed 15 people.
http://nyti.ms/1UgjLk6

2016-04-27．聯合報．A6．話題．記者王宏舜