Death toll of Taiwan water park blaze rises to 9

TAIPEI - The death toll from a fire in Taiwan on June 27 rose to nine when a 19-year-old college student died in hospital on Thursday morning.

The victim suffered severe burns which led to multiple organ failure.

The blaze broke out after a large amount of colored powder was fired from a stage during a music event at a water park in New Taipei City. The powder ignited before landing on the audience.

Among the nearly 500 injured, more than 343 are still in hospital nearly one month after the incident, with almost half of them critically ill, according to the island's health authority.