Elder Brother Seriously Injured in 'Ramyeon Fire' Wakes Up... Younger Brother Unconscious, Only Responding

Brothers Seriously Injured in Fire in Michuhol-gu, Incheon on the 14th
Older Brother A Responds When Name Called
Younger Brother Has Opened Eyes but Remains Unresponsive

According to the Michuhol-gu Fire Station in Incheon, on the 14th, an elementary school-aged brother and sister caused a fire while cooking ramen in a villa in Michuhol-gu. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] The older brother among elementary school siblings who suffered severe burns in a fire while trying to cook ramen alone at home has opened his eyes 11 days after the fire occurred.

According to the police on the 25th, elementary school brothers A (10) and B (8), who were seriously injured in a fire on the 2nd floor of a four-story villa in Michuhol-gu, Incheon on the 14th, are still receiving treatment in the intensive care unit of a specialized burn hospital in Seoul.

On this day, A opened his eyes for the first time since the accident and responded by blinking when medical staff or family members called his name. However, B also opened his eyes like his older brother but showed no response when his name was called.

Earlier, at around 11:10 a.m. on the 14th, a fire broke out while the brothers were cooking ramen in their home on the 2nd floor of a four-story villa in Michuhol-gu, Incheon.

Due to the fire, A suffered third-degree burns on 40% of his body, while B had first-degree burns but inhaled toxic fumes, making it difficult for him to breathe on his own. Both are receiving treatment in the intensive care unit, relying on oxygen ventilators.

The exterior wall of a villa in Michuhol-gu, Incheon, where a fire broke out while elementary school siblings were cooking ramen, was blackened on the morning of the 17th. / Photo by Yonhap News

The brothers urgently called 119 and shouted "Help us" when the fire broke out. The fire department tracked the location via their mobile phones, confirmed the fire site, and dispatched teams to extinguish the fire. The fire burned the entire 10-pyeong (33㎡) interior of the 2nd-floor home and was extinguished at around 11:29 a.m. that day.

The brothers are children from a basic livelihood security household and reportedly usually relied on school meals for their daily food. However, due to the resurgence of COVID-19, schools switched to remote learning, making it impossible for them to receive school meals. As a result, they tried to prepare their own meals by cooking ramen, which led to this accident. At the time, their mother, Ms. C, was reportedly away from home.

Meanwhile, the Michuhol Police Station in Incheon stated on the 16th that Ms. C was suspected of neglect and abuse of A and B and was referred to the prosecution without detention on charges of violating the Child Welfare Act last month with a recommendation for indictment.

According to the office of Democratic Party lawmaker Heo Jongsik and the Incheon city government, Ms. C has been continuously neglecting the brothers. Since 2018 until May of this year, there were three reports from residents that Ms. C was neglecting and leaving A and his brother unattended.

Regarding these issues, the Incheon Child Protection Agency at the time conducted counseling with Ms. C and advised her to improve the physical environment for her children, but the situation did not improve. Eventually, the agency requested a police investigation into Ms. C for neglect and child abuse charges on May 12.

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