Fire at housing facility in Seoul kills seven
Firefighters enter the housing facility after the fire broke out in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap
By Kim Jae-heun
A fire broke out at one-room accommodation facility in downtown Seoul, Friday, killing seven and injuring 12.
According to the fire authorities and police, the blaze occurred at 5 a.m. on the third floor of the three-story building before being suppressed at 7 a.m. Around 100 firefighters were dispatched to contain the disaster.
About 50 residents had been staying at the accommodation, most of whom were day laborers in their 40s to 60s. A 53-year-old Japanese was also found dead. He was confirmed an expat living in Korea.
Police officers investigate the building after firefighters put out the blaze. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
The rescue authorities also said the number of casualties could increase as a number of victims who were rescued and sent to the hospitals are in critical condition.
The second and third floor of the building that were used as a “goshiwon” were completely devastated, but a seafood restaurant and a bar on the first floor remained comparatively intact.
The fire authorities said there was no water sprinkler installed in the building as it was too old. Only an emergency fire alarm and an emergency descending device were available, which nobody used to escape the fire.
A man looks at the damaged building. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
“I heard the noise outside and I quickly put on my pants to check what was happening outside and I saw a huge fire coming towards me. There was a ladder at the emergency exit and I came down on it but I got a burn on my back,” said a man who survived from the third floor.
“The fire alarm operated well normally, but it didn’t ring this time. I think someone tried putting out the fire with an extinguisher too.”
Another survivor surnamed Cho said, “Most of the people living on the second floor evacuated through emergency stairs, but those on the third floor were rescued through windows, with some jumping from there.”
“I heard the landlord shouting and ran out the building,” said a 20-something Vietnamese who had been staying in the building for four months.
Broken windows on the third floor / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
Meanwhile, evacuators said the fire authorities were clumsy with their rescue work in the initial response.
“It took 30 minutes to install a ladder for two to three firefighters,” said a 50-year-old man who lived on the dormitory’s second floor.
The Jongno Fire Station said the report came in late as the fire broke out early in the morning. Also the entrance was shut down, which made it difficult for people to evacuate.
Police believe the fire started in room 301 after a resident turned on an electric heater. The resident tried in vain to stop the fire but had to flee.