'Second Joint Inspection of Icheon Logistics Warehouse Fire Completed... Collection of Tools and Oil Products'

At the site of a fire at a logistics warehouse construction site in Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, where 38 people died, police, fire authorities, and National Forensic Service officials are moving on the morning of the 1st for a second joint inspection.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The second joint investigation at the logistics warehouse fire site in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, which claimed 38 lives, has been completed.

Seven agencies, including the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency, Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters, National Forensic Service, Korea Electrical Safety Corporation, Korea Gas Safety Corporation, Ministry of Employment and Labor, and Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, conducted the second joint investigation on the logistics warehouse Building B, a building with two basement floors and four above-ground floors, from 11 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. on the 1st.

During the first investigation conducted the previous day, fire debris on the floor inside the building was removed, and based on visual inspection and burn patterns, it was estimated that the fire started on the second basement floor.

The investigation on this day focused on removing the remaining debris on the second basement floor, presumed to be the fire's point of origin, and identifying the exact ignition point, the cause of the fire, and the ignition source that caused the initial explosion.

However, due to severe charring inside the second basement floor, the exact ignition point could not be identified. Traces of welding and cutting work, which were considered likely ignition sources, were also not confirmed for this reason, suggesting that it will take time before the cause of the fire is clearly determined.

Additionally, 13 tools such as cutters and electric saws were collected from the first and second basement floors. The collected items will be analyzed by the National Forensic Service and others. Furthermore, during the investigation of the entire building, 12 personal belongings presumed to belong to the victims, including mobile phones and glasses, were also found.

After the second investigation, Jeong Yo-seop, head of the forensic team at the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency, stated at a briefing, "We will collect what appears to be bones and send them to the National Forensic Service for precise identification. There is no investigation scheduled for tomorrow, but if necessary during the investigation process, additional investigations will be conducted."

Fire authorities estimate, based on witness statements, that the fire occurred when vapor from urethane work being done throughout the building met an unidentified spark on the second basement floor, causing an explosion.

Meanwhile, the fire that occurred on the 29th of last month resulted in 38 workers dead and 10 injured. The identities of 33 of the deceased have been confirmed, but identification work, including genetic analysis, is ongoing for five individuals.

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