On June 27, 2015, a massive explosion tore through the Formosa Fun Coast water park in New Taipei City during a color powder party event. The blast, ignited by corn starch powder sprayed into the air as entertainment, killed 15 people instantly and sent more than 500 others to hospitals with severe burns and injuries. The fine, combustible starch particles suspended in the atmosphere created a dust cloud that, when exposed to the stage's heat lamps and pyrotechnic equipment, ignited catastrophically. The explosion occurred around 10:45 p.m. during a sold-out "Summer Color Party" concert attended by thousands of young people, many of them teenagers and college students.

Corn starch, a fine white powder refined from corn kernels, had become popular at music festivals and beach parties worldwide as a colorful, supposedly safe alternative to powder dyes. The starch is highly flammable when dispersed as a suspended dust, a hazard that many event organizers failed to recognize or properly manage. At Formosa Fun Coast, staff members used high-pressure hoses to spray the powder across a crowded stage where performers were entertaining the crowd. No one had calculated the explosion risk or implemented fire safety protocols for this specific use of the material. The venue had no special licensing or inspection for pyrotechnic events and had not consulted fire safety experts about the powder's properties.

The disaster exposed critical gaps in Taiwan's event safety regulations and became one of the deadliest entertainment accidents in the country's history. Many victims suffered third-degree burns over vast portions of their bodies; some died weeks later from infection and complications. The incident prompted immediate investigations, criminal charges against the park's management, and sweeping reforms to Taiwan's regulations governing public entertainment events. Fire safety authorities worldwide subsequently issued warnings about corn starch and similar powders at concerts and festivals. The Formosa Fun Coast explosion became a cautionary tale about the hidden dangers of seemingly innocent materials and the absolute necessity of expert safety review before public gatherings involving heat, flames, or combustible substances.