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| Flames and smokes rise from a fire inside the soundproof tunnel on an expressway connecting Seoul and Incheon, Dec. 29, 2022. Yonhap |
By Lee Kyung-min
The government will replace acrylic sheets with polycarbonate sheets and tempered glass when setting up soundproof tunnels, the infrastructure ministry said Thursday, in the latest measures to strengthen fire-proofing and prevent mass casualties.
The cheap acrylic materials were the cause of extended and amplified damages from a fire on the expressway between Seoul and Incheon in December of last year. Five people died and 41 were injured.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it will begin replacing the materials used on the ministry-managed highways. The replacement will be completed by the end of this year.
About 200 billion won ($163 million) will be needed to replace materials for 58 soundproof tunnels. The ministry will spend about 90 billion won. The rest will be shouldered by local governments and private entities.
The ministry will outline standards to ban the use of fire-prone materials and mandate the construction of fire-resistant steel posts, evacuation doors and emergency evacuation routes.
The measures were designed with expert opinion. "Materials that easily catch fire rapidly increase the heat inside the tunnel and spread wildly," the Ministry said. "The latest measures were designed to minimize human casualties, mostly by using fire-resistant materials and strengthening evacuation routes to help the distressed escape."
A survey by the ministry showed that of 170 soundproof tunnels installed nationwide, 58, or 34 percent, used fire-prone cheap materials. The same was true for 1,704, or 14 percent of 12,118 soundproof walls.
Of the soundproof tunnels, 110, or 65 percent were not breathable, exposing people to fumes, smoke and heat in the event of a fire.
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