The police said the fire was caused by a short circuit of an electrical box on the first floor of a three-story independent building owned by Lee Sung-fa, 43, and located on the Yenping Road of the said township.

All Lee’s seven family members lived in the second floor of the building. Of them, Lee’s two sons, aged at 8 and 9, respectively, suffocated to death although they tried to cry for help from inside the steel-bar window of their bed room.

Neighbors said they heavy smoke prevented them from doing anything to help the two brothers out of the fire. When firemen arrived at the site, the brothers had already died.

Lee’s wife Fang Ya-chi, 32, was seriously injured and was still in critical condition hours after being rushed to a hospital.

Lee, his parents, and his elder sister were also injured.

After learning of the death of the two little brothers, their teachers and classmates at primary school all felt sorrowful and some even cried out.

Teachers will move to launch a donation campaign to give financial aid to the Lee’s family.

The police will continue investigating the real cause for the fire.

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