Joint Investigation by Police and Fire Department on Christmas Fire at Apartment in Dobong-gu, Seoul

A joint investigation was conducted at the site of the apartment fire in Banghak-dong, Dobong-gu, Seoul, which resulted in 32 casualties on Christmas.

Police and fire authorities are conducting a joint investigation on the 26th at an apartment in Dobong-gu, Seoul, where a Christmas fire occurred, resulting in two deaths.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The joint investigation team, consisting of police, fire department, and Korea Electrical Safety Corporation, deployed 21 personnel from 11 a.m. to around 2:20 p.m. on the 26th to examine the fire scene. The team focused on the cause and circumstances of the fire, which is believed to have started in a small room of apartment unit 301.

It is reported that there were no particular abnormalities with the fire alarm operation at the time of the fire. However, all fire doors were open, the first floor of the apartment had a pilotis structure allowing good air inflow, and sprinklers were installed only from the 16th floor upwards according to fire safety regulations at the time of construction in 2001. These factors are pointed out as reasons why the flames spread rapidly.

A police official stated before the investigation, "We will keep all possibilities open and examine comprehensively," adding, "We will clearly identify the cause of the accident based on the investigation results and conduct additional investigations if necessary."

The fire broke out at around 4:57 a.m. the previous day, resulting in 2 deaths and 30 injuries. According to Dobong District Office, there are 8 affected households (23 people), who are temporarily residing in three nearby lodging facilities.

The police conducted autopsies to determine the exact cause of death of the two deceased. Park (33), who lived on the 4th floor, threw her 2-year-old daughter onto a recycling bag placed by security guards to help residents evacuate after the fire rapidly spread from the 3rd floor, then jumped down holding her 7-month-old daughter, suffering severe head injuries and dying. It is reported that her children and her wife, who followed and jumped down afterward, are in stable condition.

The other deceased, Lim (38), a resident of the 10th floor and the first person to report the fire, evacuated his parents and younger sibling first and left the house last but was found in cardiac arrest on the stairs of the 11th floor and eventually died.

The police conducted autopsies on the day to determine the exact causes of death. Preliminary findings suggest Park died from "multiple blunt force injuries," and Lim's cause of death is presumed to be "fire death due to smoke inhalation." The police have deployed three teams, including the Dobong Police Station Violent Crimes Unit 1, to investigate the cause and circumstances of the fire.

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