According to the Taipei Times, police in Yangmei District, under the Taoyuan City Police Department, received a request around 10 PM on May 3 to check on the residents of a rented apartment after their friends had been unable to contact them for several days.

Upon arrival, officers discovered the bodies of four Vietnamese individuals - two men and two women - inside the residence. There were no signs of struggle or injuries on any of the victims.

Preliminary investigations suggest the likely cause of death was carbon dioxide poisoning. Prosecutors have been asked to conduct autopsies to officially confirm the cause.

The deceased were identified as a 22-year-old male surnamed Nguyen and a 27-year-old male surnamed Tran, both undocumented migrant workers who had left their registered employment. The two women were a 23-year-old migrant worker surnamed Nguyen and a 20-year-old university student surnamed Phan.

At the scene, police found Nguyen lying on the bathroom floor with the hot water still running. All doors and windows were shut. The remaining three were found in separate bedrooms. There were no signs of forced entry or theft.

In addition to the autopsy request, Taiwanese authorities have informed the Vietnamese representative office in Taiwan (China) and are reviewing surveillance footage from the surrounding area.

Hoai Linh