Fire at Coupang Logistics Center on Second Day... Search for Missing Firefighter Faces Difficulties

Many Combustible Materials Like Boxes and Vinyl
Flames Uncontrolled Despite Overnight Efforts
Access Difficult Due to Collapse Risk
'Emergency Lights' on Coupang Deliveries

On the 18th, firefighters continued extinguishing efforts for the second day at the Coupang Deokpyeong Logistics Center fire site in Majang-myeon, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do. / Icheon = Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporters Kim Cheol-hyun and Lee Gwan-ju] As the fire at the Coupang Deokpyeong Logistics Center in Icheon-si, Gyeonggi Province continues into its second day, firefighting authorities are struggling to extinguish it. Nearly 250 employees have all evacuated safely with no casualties, but the disappearance of one firefighter during the suppression efforts has added to the sorrow.

According to firefighting authorities on the 18th, the fire that broke out at around 5:36 a.m. the previous day at Coupang Deokpyeong Logistics Center in Majang-myeon, Icheon-si, has not been extinguished as of noon today. From around 7 p.m. the previous day, the flames spread throughout the entire building, burning fiercely through the night, leaving only the bare skeleton of the structure. Inside the building, there are many flammable materials such as cardboard boxes, vinyl, and stickers used for parcel packaging, which continue to emit thick black smoke.

The firefighting authorities have also suspended the search for Kim Mo (52), a fire lieutenant and captain of the 119 Rescue Team from Gwangju Fire Station, Gyeonggi Province, who went missing during the search for survivors. Kim entered the basement level 2 of the building at around 11:50 a.m. the previous day with four colleagues for a search operation but did not come out alone. Of the four who entered, three evacuated, and one was rescued in a state of exhaustion and transported to a hospital.

Despite overnight firefighting efforts, the fire has not easily subsided due to the nature of the warehouse containing many combustible materials. A fire official explained, "It is estimated that a large amount of combustible material on the shelves inside the basement level 2 collapsed, causing the fire to reignite. Currently, the fire has spread throughout the building, making entry difficult due to the risk of collapse, so efforts are focused on preventing further spread from outside." Firefighting authorities have deployed 139 pieces of equipment and 416 personnel to conduct remote firefighting operations using water curtains and other methods.

Authorities plan to decide whether to resume the search after conducting a safety inspection of the building. The police have secured CCTV footage from the scene and plan to conduct a joint investigation into the cause of the fire as soon as the flames are brought under control.

The fire has also triggered an emergency situation for Coupang’s delivery operations. Coupang is redistributing the volume handled by the Deokpyeong Logistics Center to other logistics centers to minimize delivery delays. However, since the Deokpyeong Logistics Center, along with the Incheon Logistics Center, has been a core hub for ‘Rocket Delivery’ in the metropolitan area, a prolonged disruption could overload other logistics centers. The Deokpyeong Logistics Center is a ‘mega center’ with four floors above ground and two basement levels, covering a total floor area of 127,178.58 square meters. It serves mainly metropolitan area deliveries and acts as a hub for some regional shipments. It handles general products excluding fresh food and is known as the largest logistics center among Coupang’s facilities.

Depending on the investigation results regarding the cause of the fire, Coupang’s safety management practices may also come under scrutiny. Inspections are expected to focus on whether fire safety equipment is functioning properly in a logistics center with many flammable materials such as cardboard boxes and vinyl used for packaging.

If management issues are revealed, it could be a significant blow to Coupang, which has invested heavily in safety management. Coupang recently appointed Yoo In-jong, an industrial safety expert and the first safety management professional from Samsung Group to become an executive, as a new registered director, demonstrating its commitment to safety management.

The Public Transport Union’s National Logistics Center Branch Coupang Logistics Center Chapter stated, "Logistics centers store many flammable items such as cardboard boxes, and evacuation routes are not secured in case of fire, making the site always vulnerable to major accidents," urging for accountability regarding the Deokpyeong Logistics Center fire and the establishment of measures to prevent recurrence.

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