A weekend fire and explosion at an illegal waste site in Tainan hurt residents and destroyed property, and now the city is chasing a company that appears to have disappeared.

• The blast in Annan District damaged 11 homes and 22 vehicles and injured 15 people, all since released from hospital.
• The waste held aluminum, magnesium and used oil, and officials are still working out who put it there and how.
• The company suspected of storing it has vanished — its registered address is now a hair salon and the owner cannot be found.
• Tainan will pay upfront for home repairs and plans a group lawsuit with the local bar association to get that money back.
• Two men were questioned by police and released, with the case going to prosecutors.

Outlook: Prosecutors will decide whether to charge anyone while the city tries to trace assets it can seize to cover residents' losses.