"Christmas Fire" Dobong-gu Apartment Site Inspection... "Possibility of Accident Due to Negligence" (Comprehensive)

Forensic results indicate that the fire at an apartment in Banghak-dong, Dobong-gu, Seoul, which caused 32 casualties on Christmas, was likely caused by negligence.

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]

A joint forensic team consisting of police, fire department, and Korea Electrical Safety Corporation conducted an investigation at the fire site from 11 a.m. to around 2:20 p.m. on the 26th, deploying 21 personnel. 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.

A police official stated, "Based on the decisive evidence found at the scene, the most likely cause of ignition is human error." It was confirmed that electrical factors such as malfunctioning electrical devices or short circuits, as well as arson, were unlikely causes. Factors like gas leaks were also ruled out. It is presumed that the fire was caused by a human mistake. The police official added that they could not disclose specific details of the evidence because "statements from related parties may change during the ongoing investigation."

It is known that there were no particular abnormalities with the operation of the fire alarm 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 were identified as reasons why the flames spread rapidly. Currently, apartments with six or more floors are required to have sprinklers installed on every floor.

The fire, which broke out around 4:57 a.m. the previous day, resulted in 2 deaths and 30 injuries. According to Dobong District Office, 23 displaced residents from 8 households are temporarily residing in three nearby lodging facilities.

The police conducted autopsies to determine the exact causes of death of the two deceased. Park (33), who lived on the 4th floor, threw his 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 his 7-month-old daughter, suffering severe head injuries and dying. His wife and children who followed him in jumping down are reported to be 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," while Lim’s cause of death was "fire-related due to smoke inhalation." The police have deployed three teams, including the Violent Crimes Unit 1 of Dobong Police Station, to investigate the cause and circumstances of the fire.

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