Cause of 22 Billion Won Property Damage in Gunpo Logistics Center Fire: Foreign Worker 'Cigarette Butt'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] A fire at a logistics center in Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province, which caused property damage worth over 22 billion won, is suspected to have been caused by a cigarette butt discarded by a foreign worker. The police have urgently arrested the foreign worker involved.

The Gunpo Police Station in Gyeonggi announced on the 22nd that they have detained and are investigating a Tunisian national in his 20s, identified as Mr. A, on suspicion of arson.

Mr. A is accused of discarding a cigarette butt at the waste sorting area inside the Korea Integrated Logistics Gunpo Terminal at around 10:10 a.m. the previous day, which caused a fire in the adjacent building E. Mr. A has been working at a company located in building E for the past two months and has been confirmed not to be an illegal resident.

The police, through analysis of closed-circuit television (CCTV), captured Mr. A smoking a cigarette at the sorting area and then throwing the cigarette butt into a pile of trash. Eighteen minutes later, flames erupted where the cigarette butt was discarded, and the fire spread to the first floor of the adjacent building E, driven by strong winds.

The police found no other cause of the fire besides the cigarette butt discarded by Mr. A and have identified and urgently arrested him. After questioning Mr. A, the police plan to review whether to apply for an arrest warrant.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.