Fire at Pyeongtaek Construction Site Extinguished After 19 Hours... 3 Firefighters Killed in Line of Duty (Comprehensive)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Ji-hwan] The fire that broke out at a frozen warehouse construction site in Cheongbuk-eup, Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi Province, was completely extinguished at around 7:19 PM on the 6th, about 19 hours after the fire started.

The fire department issued a Level 2 response alert at 9:21 AM that day, deploying about 60 pieces of equipment including pump trucks and approximately 190 firefighters to carry out firefighting operations. Level 2 response is an alert that mobilizes personnel and equipment from 5 to 6 neighboring fire stations.

The building where the fire occurred is very large, with a total floor area of about 199,000㎡ spanning from one basement floor to seven above ground. It was reported that the presence of many flammable materials such as finishing materials inside made it difficult to control the flames.

As a result of this fire, among the five rescue workers conducting firefighting and search operations on the second floor of the building, three?Fire Lieutenant Lee Hyung-seok (50), Fire Sergeant Park Su-dong (31), and Firefighter Jo Woo-chan (25) from the Songtan Fire Station 119 Rescue Team?were trapped on site by rapidly rising flames and were ultimately found dead.

The remaining two members from the same fire station escaped on their own and are receiving treatment, with no serious injuries reported.

The police and fire authorities plan to investigate the exact damage and cause of the fire now that the firefighting has been completed.

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