Jecheon building fire

A major fire occurred on 21 December 2017, at the Duson Sporium sport center (두손스포리움, Duson Seupolium) in Jecheon, South Korea, killing at least 29 people and injuring another 36.[2] Twenty of those killed were trapped in a sauna on the second floor of the building,[3][4] which also housed a variety of other commercial establishments including a gym, a golf practice facility, and a number of restaurants.[2]

Jecheon building fire
Jecheon building fire is located in South Korea
Jecheon building fire
Jecheon building fire (South Korea)
Date21 December 2017 (2017-12-21)
VenueDuson Sporium
LocationJecheon, South Korea
Coordinates37°08′25″N 128°11′58″E
TypeStructure fire
CauseFaulty wiring[1]
First reporterJecheon Fire Department
Deaths29
Non-fatal injuries36

Around 20 people were rescued from the roof. Preliminary reports indicated that victims were incapacitated by toxic smoke, which was produced so quickly that they were unable to evacuate;[5] smoke inhalation was also the cause of many injuries. Rescue operations were delayed due to the continued presence of toxic gas and exceptionally thick smoke.[6]

Summary

On 21 December 2017, at 15:53 (KST), a vehicle in Duson Sporium caught on fire from electric heating wires being installed in the first-floor ceiling of the parking lot, in turn setting the eight-story building itself on fire.[7] Jecheon Fire Department arrived at 16:00 (KST), but were unable to approach because of the explosion risk of the vehicle and LP gas tank on the first floor.[8] The accident killed 29 people and injured 36 people.[9]

Cause

The crime lab concluded that the fire was started by a spark in the heating wires that were being installed in the ceiling pipes on the first floor parking lot.[1] The ceiling structures then collapsed on a parked vehicle, further expanding the fire to other parked vehicles.[10] In addition, the emergency exit on the second floor, where a women's sauna was located, was being used as a warehouse. Moreover, there were no employees to help evacuate and the automatic door at the main entrance was broken, making it harder for victims to escape and causing more casualties.[11]

Civilian response

The building owner, Lee, tried to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher but failed, and entered the building to evacuate people.[12] However, for fear that there would be naked women in the sauna, Lee refused to go inside and instead opted to warn people to evacuate by yelling outside the door.[13]

A private ladder truck rescued people during the delay of the firefighting trucks' ladder installation.[14] In addition, an elderly man helped rescue 15 people at the scene, but was later taken to the hospital.[3]

Aftermath

On 25 December, 2017, the police raided the homes of both the owner of the building and the manager to collect evidence that would help charge them with manslaughter caused by professional negligence and violation of the fire law. The police plan to seek arrest warrants for both.[15]

Reactions

President of South Korea, Moon Jae-in, voiced "deep sorrow", along with the Prime Minister of South Korea, Lee Nak-yeon, vowed to expedite the dispatching of rescue services to the location.[16] Organizers of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang announced that a scheduled visit by the Olympic torch relay to Jecheon would be cancelled, and the route revised, due to the incident.[2]

Controversy and criticism

Some point out that the Jecheon fire department failed to properly deal with the fire. Victims escaped through the exit but the firemen did not approach the exit. In addition, no attempts were made to enter through the second floor's window and the fire engine's ladder was not installed properly.[17] Some also criticized the lack of firefighting equipment and manpower, caused by the local government's negligence, which contributed to the disaster.[18]

The firefighters believed that most of the victims had inhaled toxic gases and died early in the fire, however, a controversy arose when a family member claimed that they receive a phone call from the victim four hours after the fire broke out. The bereaved families criticized the fire department for having missed the emergency rescue golden time.[19]

References
  1. "(LEAD) State crime lab confirms Jecheon fire started from ceiling". Yonhap News. December 23, 2017. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  2. "29 People Killed After Fire Breaks Out in South Korea Building". Time. Archived from the original on 2017-12-24. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  3. "Prime minister mourns fire victims, vows safety improvement". Yonhapnews. December 24, 2017. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  4. "Fire In South Korean Commercial Building Kills At Least 29". NPR. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  5. "Deadly fire kills 29 at South Korea gym". BBC. 21 December 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2017 – via www.bbc.com.
  6. "(3rd LD) Death toll rises to 29 from fire at gym building". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  7. Song, Yi-ran (December 21, 2017). "제천 스포츠센터서 화재로 16명 사망·22명 부상(종합2보)". Edaily (in Korean). Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  8. Byun, Woo-yeol (December 22, 2017). "20명 사망 女사우나 진입 시기 등 구조 골든타임 논란(종합)". Yonhap News (in Korean). Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  9. Park, Chan-geun (December 23, 2017). "'제천 화재' 부상자 36명 집계…오전에 합동분향소 설치 출처 : SBS 뉴스 원본 링크". SBS News. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  10. Park, Tae-sung (December 22, 2017). "제천 화재 참사 원인 '1층 천장 열선 설치 작업중 발화' 가닥". News1 (in Korean). Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  11. Park, Jin-joon (December 22, 2017). ""현관 출입구 자동문 안 열렸다"…비상구도 막혀". MBC News. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  12. Lee, Jun-beom (December 23, 2017). "건물주 "2층 여자 사우나만 대피 통보 못했다"". MBC News (in Korean). Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  13. "제천 화재 건물주 "여자 사우나에 제대로 안알려"". Yonhap News (in Korean). December 23, 2017. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  14. Byun, Woo Yeol (December 23, 2017). "소방 굴절 사다리차 작동 늦어…초동 대처 미흡 논란". Yonhap News (in Korean). Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  15. "Police raid homes of owner, manager of fire-ravaged building in Jecheon". Yonhap News. December 25, 2017. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  16. "Blaze engulfs fitness centre in South Korea's Jecheon, at least 29 killed". Hindustan Times. 21 December 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  17. Shin, Jung-hoon; Jang, Hyun-tae; Kwon, Seon-mi (December 23, 2017). "3층에선 비상구로 내려왔는데… 구조대는 왜 비상구 진입 안했나 출처". News Chosun (in Korean). Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  18. Nam, In-woo (December 24, 2017). "13만명 제천에 사다리차 단 1대… 소방서 없는 지자체도 32곳". Seoul Newspaper (in Korean). Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  19. ""불나고 4시간 뒤에도 통화"…희생자 생존시간 미스터리". Yonhap News. December 24, 2017. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
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