Manmade Disasters
Lack of Safety Measures Blamed for Tragedies
South Koreans have long been fed up with a cliche often used to describe a series of fires and other safety-related accidents. The cliche is ``manmade disasters.'' The latest example of this is a fire that erupted on top of Mt. Hwawang in Changnyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, Monday. At least four people were killed and over 60 others injured in a mountain stampede during a traditional grass-burning festival.
The accident is not a thing to be overlooked as it is seen as a typical case of a lack of safety measures and disregard of fire prevention rules. The blaze set by municipal officials on a mountaintop pampas grass field went out of control due to unexpected wind, forcing onlookers to jump off a cliff. The festival organizers set up a 30 to 50-meter-wide fire control line, which was not big enough to prevent the strong wind-aided blaze from suddenly flaring up and threatening onlookers.
It is really regrettable that the organizers recklessly pressed on with the event, despite the unfavorable weather conditions. They should have taken precautionary measures against any potential dangers. About 15,000 people participated in the grass-burning festival to wish for good luck and a good harvest. The municipal authorities had only 110 officials and security personnel to maintain order and ensure safety.
Experts point out that more officials should have been positioned to deal with the large crowd, adding that the fire control line was too narrow to effectively cope with the sudden flare-up of the blaze. A severe winter drought had turned the grass field into a tinderbox. Therefore, the organizers should have been more careful about the risks of the grass burning and taken bolder safety steps.
In conclusion, the tragedy was a manmade disaster that belied the old tale about the force of fire driving out bad luck. Mt. Hwawang literally means a ``big fire'' mountain in Korean. It is sad to see the mountain turning into a scene of pandemonium. The accident took place on the very day the prosecution announced the results of its investigation into the Jan. 20 fire that claimed the lives of a police officer and five tenants protesting a redevelopment project in Yongsan, central Seoul.
On Tuesday, national police chief-designate Kim Seok-ki withdrew his nomination, taking moral responsibility for the deaths. The withdrawal should not stop here. It must be used as an opportunity for police to take radical measures to better protect protesters before cracking down on them. Police are required to do more to avoid criticism for the lack of safety measures and the reckless use of force against demonstrators.
It is unfortunate that innocent citizens have continued to lose their lives in fires and other safety-related accidents. Scores of people were burned to death in two separate fires inside refrigerated warehouses in Icheon, 80 km southeast of Seoul, last year. And a large number of people have become victims of frequent fires at karaoke bars, nightclubs, motels, boarding rooms and summer camps for children.
The authorities could have saved Sungnyemun, Seoul's 600-year-old landmark gate listed as National Treasure No. 1, from an arson fire in February 2008, if they had taken better fire-prevention measures. It is no use crying over spilt milk. But the real problem is that the state and local authorities are still neglecting their obligations to prevent manmade disasters. How many more lives must be sacrificed due to neglect and ignorance?