Mystery gas odor triggers resident fears in Busan
The source of gas odor in Busan on Friday is still unknown. / Courtesy of Naver Post
By Yeo Ye-rim
Mystery surrounds the source of a gas odor in Busan that has prompted a flood of complaints.
More than 160 have been filed since Thursday afternoon from around Haeundae-gu and Nam-gu areas. But the cause of the strange odor has not yet been identified.
“We could not detect any gas leaks in and out of the city,” Busan’s main gas distributor, Busan City Gas, said. “Neither could we identify the cause of the smell.”
But the odor has raised fears among residents. Some suspect it is a sign of a coming earthquake. This is based on the rumor that a strange gas smell prevailed in Taiwan before a massive earthquake struck several years ago.
News channel YTN speculated that the smell came from a vehicle that was carrying a harmful chemical or oil.
There was a similar case in July 2015 in Busan, around Yeonsan-dong, Myeongjang-dong and Allak-dong. But Busan City Gas quickly identified the problem as a small leak from an odorizer at a Korean Environment Corporation sewage treatment plant.
Busan Metropolitan Police Agency, Busan Metropolitan City Council, Busan City Gas and Busan Metropolitan City Fire Safety Headquarters will hold an emergency meeting Friday to discuss the matter.