Fire Suppressant Leakage Accident "There Were People Near the Switch at the Time"

"Need to Confirm if Person Actually Pressed the Switch"
One More Dead, Total Deaths 3... Joint Autopsy on 26th

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] One additional death has been reported in connection with the fire extinguishing agent leak accident that occurred at the construction site of a new knowledge industry center in Geumcheon-gu, Seoul. The police are focusing on partially reconstructing the circumstances at the time of the accident and investigating the cause of the incident.

According to the police, one of the seriously injured victims from this accident died on the morning of the 25th. As a result, the total number of deaths related to the accident has increased to three, and the total number of casualties is 21, including one seriously injured and 17 minor injuries.

The police are paying close attention to the fact that the manual switch of the fire alarm, which operates the relevant equipment, was pressed when the extinguishing agent leaked, and are concentrating their investigative efforts on reconstructing the situation at that time.

At a press briefing held on the 25th, Kim Seong-jong, head of the investigation department at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, stated, "The circumstances when the manual switch was operated have been confirmed."

Kim said, "It has been confirmed that there was a person around there, but whether (he) pressed it or not needs to be determined through examination. If a person operated it, it has only been confirmed that there was no one else but that person."

However, he added, "It will be clear whether it was intentional or accidental only after the investigation progresses," leaving open the possibility of a malfunction.

The police plan to conduct a joint detailed forensic examination with the National Forensic Service on the 26th to clarify the circumstances of the switch operation.

The results of the forensic examination are expected to be a key factor in determining the cause of the accident.

When the manual switch of the fire alarm is activated, carbon dioxide inside the extinguishing agent container is released. If someone pressed this switch before the accident, the possibility of intentionally causing the gas leak increases significantly.

Meanwhile, this accident occurred on the morning of the 23rd at 8:52 AM in the basement of the Gasan Metro Knowledge Industry Center construction site in Geumcheon-gu.

There were about 130 fire extinguishing devices weighing 58 kg and with a capacity of 87 liters, which release carbon dioxide in preparation for fire, in the basement of the construction site, and chemicals leaked from 123 of these devices. It is known that inhaling this chemical in a confined space causes paralysis of the central nervous system.

The police have formed a dedicated team of about 20 members at the Geumcheon Police Station to investigate the case.

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