"'Icheon Warehouse Fire' Suspected Origin on Basement Level 2... Detailed Inspection Scheduled for Tomorrow"

First Joint Investigation Concludes After 6 Hours

At the site of a fire at a logistics warehouse construction site in Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, where a large-scale human casualty occurred, police, fire authorities, and officials from the National Forensic Service are conducting a joint inspection on the morning of the 30th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy (Icheon) = Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] The first joint on-site investigation to determine the cause of the ‘Icheon Logistics Warehouse Fire’ disaster ended after six hours.

Jeong Yo-seop, head of the Scientific Investigation Unit at the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency, stated in a briefing shortly after the conclusion of the first joint investigation at around 5 p.m. on the 30th, “Based on visual observation of basement levels 1 and 2 and the pattern of internal damage, it is estimated that the fire started on basement level 2.”

He added, “Since the excavation work on the floor of basement level 2 has not been fully completed, a second detailed investigation is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow.”

The joint investigation team, composed of 45 members from seven organizations including the police, fire department, National Forensic Service, Korea Electrical Safety Corporation, Korea Gas Safety Corporation, Ministry of Employment and Labor, and Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, visited the fire site at Moga-myeon, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi Province from 11 a.m. to examine the cause and spread of the fire.

The investigation team focused their efforts on basement level 2, which is presumed to be the likely first ignition point. However, due to the large amount of debris, time is required to clear the area before proceeding with the work.

Additionally, the police have requested DNA testing for nine unidentified victims. Among the 38 confirmed deceased, 29 have been identified through fingerprints and other means, but the fingerprints of the remaining nine were damaged, preventing accurate identification.

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