Large Fire Breaks Out at 33-Story Residential-Commercial Complex in Ulsan... Casualties Being Confirmed

(Photo by Fire Agency)

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] A large fire broke out in a 33-story residential-commercial complex building in Ulsan, and the fire authorities are currently extinguishing it. About 40 people who had evacuated to the rooftop were rescued, and 15 were transported to hospitals, but the exact number of casualties has not yet been confirmed.

According to the Fire Agency and Ulsan Fire Headquarters, a fire report was received around 11:14 PM on the 8th at Samhwan Arneuvo, a residential-commercial apartment located in Daldong, Damgu, Ulsan.

This building consists of underground floors 1 to 2 as parking lots, floors 1 to 3 as commercial and business facilities, and floors 4 to 33 as apartments, with a total of 127 households residing in the apartments.

The fire authorities arrived at the scene at 11:20 PM, just 6 minutes after the report was received, and began extinguishing the fire. However, as the fire spread across the entire exterior wall of the apartment, they issued a Level 2 response at 11:48 PM, mobilizing 26 fire trucks and 97 firefighters.

As the fire spread, about 40 residents who could not evacuate to the ground fled to the rooftop and were rescued, and 15 people who inhaled smoke were transported to nearby hospitals.

A Fire Agency official stated, "As of 1:00 AM on the 9th, the exterior wall fire has been mostly extinguished. Since there were initially many people requesting rescue inside the building, firefighters are going through each unit to check."

The exact point of origin of the fire has not yet been confirmed, but the Fire Agency believes the fire started on the terrace exterior wall on the 3rd floor of the building. On that day in Ulsan, strong winds were blowing, and since the lower exterior walls of the building were finished with dryvit (a method of attaching styrofoam insulation to concrete walls), the flames spread quickly from the lower floors to the top floors.

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