Owner of guest house bows to bereaved families
Lawmaker and de facto owner of the guesthouses that caught on fire killing four people, surnamed Choi, bows to the bereaved families on Tuesday. / Yonhap
The owner of a Damyang, South Jeolla Province guest house where four people died in a fire last week bowed in apology to the bereaved families, Tuesday.
The man surnamed Choi kneeled, putting both hands and head to the floor in front of the families at a community center. He was dressed in hospital clothing and wearing a cast on his arm.
The four deceased were university students. The fire erupted as guests were having a barbecue on the premises; one of the guests attempted to extinguish a charcoal fire by pouring water onto it, which caused sparks to reach the flammable ceiling. Six others sustained injuries.
The bereaved families responded angrily to Choi’s apology, shouting at him. One family member reportedly had to be taken to the hospital after fainting.
Choi had been summoned by the police and is said to have been cooperative with the investigation.