Taichung: A late-night fire in a densely populated residential area of Taichung left one person dead and 12 homes damaged on Thursday, authorities said Friday.

According to Focus Taiwan, the deceased, a woman in her 50s surnamed Yang, was found in a stairwell between the first and second floors of one building, trapped under a "heavy object," possibly debris from the building.

The Taichung Fire Bureau reported that they were first notified of the fire in the city's Wuri District at 10:40 p.m. Thursday. Firefighters arriving at the scene found flames spreading across a cluster of two-story brick and wooden houses built closely together along a narrow alley.

The bureau confirmed that the fire was brought under control and extinguished shortly after midnight, at 12:16 a.m. Friday. The cause of the fire is currently being investigated, the bureau added.