"Icheon Logistics Warehouse Disaster" 3rd Joint On-Site Investigation Today... Cause Identification Expected to Take Time

Police, Fire Department, National Forensic Service, and 3 Other Agencies to Begin
Combustion Pattern Analysis and Detailed Inspection of Process Work Areas from 1 PM

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] On the afternoon of the 6th, police, fire departments, and related agencies will conduct the third joint investigation at the site of the logistics warehouse fire in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, which claimed 38 lives. This is to clarify the exact cause of the fire, and it is expected to take some time until a final conclusion is reached.

The joint investigation team, consisting of 40 members from six organizations including the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency, Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters, National Forensic Service, Korea Gas Safety Corporation, Korea Electrical Safety Corporation, and Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, will conduct the joint investigation at the logistics warehouse fire site in Moga-myeon, Icheon City, starting at 1 p.m. on the same day. During the third investigation, the police and others will analyze combustion patterns to trace the ignition point and closely examine each process work area. In the previous two joint investigations, the initial ignition point was estimated to be on the second basement floor, but the exact cause and ignition point were not identified.

Based on the authorities' investigations and statements from on-site personnel, this fire appears to be a typical accident caused by "safety negligence." Near the freight elevator in the basement of the building, work involving the addition of blowing agents to urethane foam insulation and elevator installation was being carried out simultaneously. During this process, sparks generated from welding and cutting work ignited vapor emitted from the urethane, causing an explosion that spread into a fire. Notably, the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency had pointed out these issues through two document reviews and four on-site inspections of the logistics warehouse construction company. In this third joint investigation, the focus of the investigation capabilities is expected to be on confirming how the fire spread, especially around the area where the work was conducted.

However, it will inevitably take time until the final cause of the fire and the responsible parties are determined through investigation results. During the Sejong Hospital fire in Miryang, Gyeongnam, in January 2018, which resulted in 47 deaths, it took about two months for the police investigation results to be released after three joint investigations. A police official stated, "The fire site is complex with many variables, so it is common that results do not come from just one or two investigations," adding, "We will proceed with the third investigation and, if necessary, conduct additional investigations to clearly identify the cause of the fire."

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