Compensation ruling brought long-awaited legal closure for several families affected by the deadly 2015 Formosa Fun Coast water park explosion. Taiwan’s Supreme Court upheld a decision requiring two government agencies to compensate relatives of seven victims after years of legal proceedings.
The Supreme Court confirmed that the Tourism Administration and the New Taipei City Government must jointly pay NT$21 million. Under the final judgment, each of the seven families will receive NT$3 million following the conclusion of the lengthy court battle.
The ruling marks another significant chapter in a tragedy that claimed 15 lives and injured nearly 500 people. The disaster occurred on June 27, 2015, at the former Formosa Fun Coast water park in Bali District, New Taipei City.
Investigators determined that colored cornstarch powder used during an entertainment event ignited and triggered a powerful explosion. Consequently, flames rapidly spread through the crowd, causing one of Taiwan’s worst recreational venue disasters in recent history.
Families of those who lost their lives filed civil lawsuits against the Tourism Administration, the New Taipei City Government, and the National Fire Agency in 2017. They argued that government agencies failed to properly supervise the venue before the catastrophic explosion occurred.
However, the plaintiffs initially faced setbacks after lower courts dismissed their claims during the early stages of litigation. Following the first unsuccessful trial in 2019, fewer families continued pursuing compensation through Taiwan’s judicial system.
The number of plaintiffs decreased again after another unfavorable High Court decision in 2022. Nevertheless, seven families remained committed to seeking accountability and continued challenging the earlier rulings through additional legal appeals.
A major turning point arrived when the High Court reconsidered the case during a retrial completed in February 2025. Judges concluded that both the Tourism Administration and the New Taipei City Government shared responsibility for the tragic incident.
The court determined that officials knew the water park continued operating without obtaining the necessary permit. Even so, authorities failed to impose penalties or require corrective measures that could have prevented continued operations at the facility.
As a result, the High Court found a direct connection between official negligence and the circumstances surrounding the fatal explosion. Meanwhile, judges found no evidence showing that the National Fire Agency neglected its legal responsibilities before the disaster.
The Tourism Administration and the New Taipei City Government later appealed the retrial decision before the Supreme Court. However, the nation’s highest court rejected those appeals and upheld the findings reached during the earlier retrial.
According to the Supreme Court, the victims’ families presented valid claims because both government agencies neglected their supervisory duties. Therefore, the court concluded that those failures contributed to the conditions leading to the deadly explosion.
Compensation ruling now carries full legal authority because the Supreme Court’s decision cannot receive further judicial review. Consequently, the affected families will finally receive financial compensation after pursuing justice through several years of complex litigation.
Following the final judgment, both the Tourism Administration and the New Taipei City Government acknowledged the court’s decision. Officials confirmed they would comply with the ruling and move forward with compensation payments to the seven families without further legal challenges.
Compensation ruling concludes one of Taiwan’s longest-running legal disputes connected to the 2015 water park explosion while reinforcing government accountability for public safety oversight.
