Firefighters battled the blaze for more than 32 hours after it broke out on the third floor of one of three steel-frame buildings at Hsichih town.

Taiwan "Premier" of the Executive Yuan Chang Chun-hsiung rushed to the scene, where two firemen were slightly injured.

Acer Group Chief Executive Officer Stan Shih also visited the site as critics condemned the government's firefighting capacity.

Eastern Television said the headquarters of subsidiaries with the Tuntex group and a group member of the leading computer maker Acer were nearly destroyed.

"Most of the offices here are high-tech companies. So the losses are expected to be massive," an official with the building management was quoted as saying.

The three buildings linked by their ventilation system house 236 companies.

The blaze was first believed to have been extinguished several hours after it was reported early on Saturday, but roared out of control again and firefighters were still in action at midday Sunday.

(chinadaily.com.cn 05/13/2001)