The "O Show" of the Penghu Fireworks Festival is confirmed to have gone up in flames – 2 million TWD worth of equipment used only once before being scrapped

▲The 2016 Penghu Fireworks Festival hit a snag right at the opening, with the "O Show" Ferris wheel equipment confirmed as damaged and dismantled.

Reporter Lin Yuying / Comprehensive report

The opening of the "2016 Penghu International Marine Fireworks Festival" hit a snag when, during the first fireworks display on the 18th, around 9:30 PM, the "O Show" Ferris wheel equipment suddenly caught fire;it has now been confirmed as completely destroyed and dismantled, with the 2 million TWD facility used only once before being ruined,which is truly a pity. The organizing committee stated that the O Show was introduced to bring innovation to the event content, and they extend their deepest apologies to the public for this performance mishap. Follow-up actions will include holding the contractor accountable according to the contract and imposing deductions.

A fire alarm unexpectedly broke out during the opening ceremony of the Penghu Fireworks Festival, causing quite a stir. Netizens even joked bitterly, saying, "The Ferris wheel turned into a fiery wheel." According to information from the Tourism Bureau regarding the cause of the incident, it was mainly because the pontoons of the O Show equipment had placed quite a few flower pots on them. These were ignited by the force of the fireworks, and the strong winds fanned the embers inside the pots. Although the vendor had set up fireproof blankets when arranging the shells, the wind was too strong to control the blaze, and the area was also filled with fireworks wiring, causing the fire to spread to the fireworks control system, melting the circuits and resulting in a short circuit.

After the controller short-circuited, the fireworks launch console alsomalfunctioned and crashed, causing the system to go haywire, and even after the show ended, some fireworks continued to be launched,and there were instances where aerial fireworks failed to ignite. At the time of the incident, the fire department was already on standby, but unable to confirm whether there were any unexploded shells, so for safety reasons, they evacuated the on-site crowd first to ensure safety.

▲The "O Show" equipment was introduced to make the content more innovative, but no one expected a fire to damage it. The organizing committee also extended their deepest apologies to visitors. (Photo / Screenshot from Baoliao Commune)

The Tourism Bureau stated that the Fireworks Festival is an important tourism brand for Penghu. However, in the past, smoke pollution caused by fireworks had drawn considerable public backlash. In consideration of balancing tourism with low-carbon development, and also to bring innovation to the event content, the "O Show" equipment was introduced for the first time this year, hoping to deliver a performance unlike any before.

The opening fireworks were designed and choreographed by an international team from Italy. Because the team has extensive performance experience, the vendor, out of respect for their expertise, used the firing system provided by them, which was different from the originally planned system. In addition,the vendor was undertaking the Fireworks Festival for the first time and was not familiar with Penghu’s climate, and sudden, unexpected weather changes, among many coincidences, led to the accident.

After inspecting the shell-loading site, the Tourism Bureau has now confirmed that the O Show equipment has been damaged and has instructed the vendor to dismantle the equipment as soon as possible. Therefore,the originally scheduled "O Show Light and Fireworks Show" on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Sundays, Fridays, and Saturdays has been entirely canceled. Events will now focus on the official shows (every Monday and Thursday evenings, as well as four Saturdays: 4/30, 5/7, 5/21, 6/18), so the public is advised to take note.

Regarding the failure of the O Show performance during this year's opening fireworks, which affected the overall effect, the organizing committee expressed their apologies. Once the responsibilities are determined, further action will be taken to pursue accountability and impose deductions according to the contract. At the same time, the vendor has been instructed to review the relevant causes and make immediate improvements to ensure the smooth and successful execution of subsequent events.

After this statement was released, netizens also expressed their sentiments, saying"2 million TWD worth of equipment, used just once and then scrapped – what a waste!"Some even bluntly called it "the most disappointing one in five years" or "the O Show equipment was prone to problems anyway, stop importing it." But many still offered warm responses such as "Hard work, keep it up!" or "I still love Penghu!""Having the courage to face failure, examine shortcomings, and pave the way for smooth future events is the only solution.""Next time, remember to factor in weather conditions as an important discussion point."

▲The O Show equipment has been confirmed as damaged, leaving netizens expressing their regret. (Photo / Baoliao Commune / Provided by Xu Yumi)

★ 2016 "Penghu Fireworks Festival" Fireworks Display Schedule:
Dates: April 18 to June 23 (
Time: 9:00 PM
0? may also be held on Saturdays (4/30, 5/7, 5/21, 6/18) at the Guanyin Pavilion Leisure Area in Magong City.
0? on Monday, June 16, and on June 4 (Saturday) at Aimen Beach. (
0?span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">As for the originally scheduled “O Show Light and Fireworks Show” every Tuesday, Wednesday, Sunday, Friday, and Saturday, all performances have been cancelled.