A fire and a string of explosions hit Taiwan Panasonic’s Hukou Plant No. 3 in Hsinchu County at 2 a.m. on Nov. 4, leaving five employees injured and two Taiwanese employees missing. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to a Commercial Times report cited by ABMedia.
Fire breaks out at Hukou Plant No. 3
The report said the incident took place at Panasonic Taiwan’s Hukou Plant No. 3 on Guangfu Road in Hukou Township, Hsinchu County. The facility is a five-story steel-framed factory building registered with solar power and radioactive material installations.
Witnesses described an intense blaze and repeated loud blasts. Residents several kilometers away reportedly felt the shockwaves, and the explosion sounds continued until around 3 a.m.
After receiving the report, the Hsinchu County Fire Bureau dispatched its Third Brigade, with support from Xingong, Hukou, Xinpu, and Shanzaki units. In total, 13 units, 23 fire engines, and 48 firefighters were sent to the scene. Three ladder trucks were also deployed for elevated water operations, while water cannons and hose lines were used to protect the surrounding area.
Five employees were injured, suffering partial burns, chest and abdominal pain, and breathing difficulties. All were conscious and were taken to Ton Yen General Hospital in Zhubei and Ren-Tzu Hospital in Hukou for treatment. After a headcount, two Taiwanese employees were still unaccounted for, and search efforts were ongoing.
Residents in nearby areas reported strong tremors
A resident posted fire footage in the Facebook group 「竹北發生什麼事？」, showing flames rising into the night sky and thick black smoke billowing upward. The original poster said a blast was felt in Zhubei at around 2 a.m. and was initially mistaken for an air raid before it became clear that a major explosion and fire had occurred at Panasonic’s Guangfu Road plant in Hukou.
Residents in Xinwu and Fugang also said they were jolted awake. Some wrote that their homes shook violently and that the sky outside was lit by flames. Others said glass was shattered and warned that an unusual smell remained in the area, urging people to protect their breathing.
Plant produces high-speed PCB and packaging materials
The report said the company serves as an overseas production base for Japan’s Panasonic Group and mainly develops and manufactures high-speed PCB materials and semiconductor packaging materials. With demand from AI servers and high-speed switches, high-speed, low-loss CCL materials have become a key part of the PCB supply chain, putting any disruption at the Panasonic site under close industry watch.
Analyst points to possible order spillover
After the accident, PCB industry analyst kokycpcb wrote in a social media post that the likely destinations for any Panasonic order spillover were "very clear":
- M8 and above: EMC (2383)
- M6/M7: Nan Ya Plastics (1303)
The report said M6, M7, and M8 generally refer to Panasonic’s Megtron series of high-speed, low-loss CCL materials. Higher grades carry lower signal loss and are mainly used in high-end PCBs.
Still, the order-transfer view remains the analyst’s personal opinion. It is not yet known which production line was damaged or whether Megtron-series materials were involved. The actual impact will depend on further official clarification. Whether customers shift orders will also depend on certification progress, production capacity, and material compatibility.
