TAIPEI (AFP) - More than 200 people were injured, over 80 of them seriously, in an explosion at an amusement park outside Taiwan's capital Taipei on Saturday after coloured powder being sprayed onto a crowd ignited, officials said.

"Our initial understanding is this explosion and fire... was caused by the powder spray. It could have been due to the heat of the lights on the stage," said a spokesman for the New Taipei City fire department, adding that 205 had been hospitalised including 81 who are seriously injured.