5 killed in campsite fire on Ganghwa Island
By Jung Min-ho
Five people, including three children, were killed and two injured in a fire at a campsite on Ganghwa Island early Sunday morning.
The blaze started around 2:09 a.m. inside a 16-square-meter tent set up at the campsite, 500 meters from Dongmak Beach, according to the Incheon Ganghwa Police Station.
A father, 37, identified only by his surname Lee, and two of his sons, aged 11 and six, died while sleeping in the tent. Another man, surnamed Cheon, and his son were also killed in the same tent.
A man, surnamed Park, who was in a nearby tent with his family, ran to the tent when he heard screams and rescued Lee’s second son, aged eight, who was standing near the door.
Lee’s second son is undergoing a medical check-up in Bestian Medical Center in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province. Park was also taken to a nearby hospital after inhaling smoke, but was released later.
The Incheon Fire and Safety Management Department said those who died in the tent were friends who had brought their families from Seoul, Saturday.
“It only took about a minute for the tent to burn down,” said Incheon Ganghwa Fire Station head Ryu Hwan-hyeong. “We have confirmed that all victims burned to death.”
Witnesses said there were several fire extinguishers at the campsite, but they did not work.
Fire fighters arrived 13 minutes after getting an emergency call at 2:12 a.m.
“When we got there, the tent was already burnt down,” Ryu said. “Campsite keepers tried to put out the fire with fire extinguishers, but everything happened so quickly.”
Police suspect an electric blanket was the source of the fire. They have asked the National Forensic Service to determine the exact cause.
Witnesses said the fire broke out an hour after Lee and Cheon went to sleep at about 1 a.m.
Police are also investigating whether campsite administrators ignored their responsibility for necessary safety management.
They found the campsite was not insured against fire.
According to the Special Act on the Safety Control of Public Structures, a campsite is not required to have insurance because it is categorized as a tourism facility, not an accommodation business such as a hotel.
“So compensation is expected to be difficult,” a police officer said.
Prime Minister Lee Wan-kook has ordered the Ministry of Public Safety and Security to conduct a safety check of campsites and other accommodation across Korea because many students are expected to take field trips in the spring.
The campsite is a popular “clamping” spots. Clamping is a fusion word of “glamor” and “camping.” It has recently emerged as a trend.
A one-night camping package includes an electric blanket, heater and fridge in a cone-shaped tent, but fire extinguishers are not included.
According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Korea have about 1,800 campsites. Yet few are checked regularly for safety.