President Lee Jae-myung on the 18th ordered authorities to "make every effort to extinguish the fire and do everything possible to prevent the damage from spreading" in connection with the large fire at a Coupang logistics center in Incheon.
Kang Yu-jung, senior presidential spokesperson, said in a media notice on the 18th that after receiving a report on the fire situation that day, Lee emphasized, "Above all, be thorough in ensuring the safety measures for the on-site firefighters."
Lee's directive came as the fire at the Coupang logistics center in Incheon dragged on for hours, prompting fire authorities to raise their response, including issuing a national firefighting mobilization order.
According to the Incheon Fire Headquarters on the 18th, a fire broke out at about 6:54 a.m. on the sixth floor of Coupang's No. 32 logistics center in Seoknam-dong, Seohae District, Incheon. Fire authorities sequentially issued Response Level 1 at 9:15 a.m. and Response Level 2 at 12:25 p.m., then at 3:15 p.m. issued a national firefighting mobilization order and are continuing suppression efforts.
With the national firefighting mobilization order in effect, 21 additional pieces of equipment, including high ladder trucks and unmanned firefighting robots, were dispatched from five cities and provinces—Seoul, Gyeonggi, North Chungcheong, South Chungcheong, and Gangwon. Currently, 142 pieces of equipment and 386 personnel, including firefighters, have been deployed to the scene to carry out suppression work.
However, large quantities of household goods are stacked on triple-tier shelves inside the logistics center, and thick black smoke has filled the interior of the building, making suppression difficult. Black smoke also billowed outside the building, leading to a stream of reports from residents, and fire authorities expect it will take considerable time to fully extinguish the blaze.
All 121 people, including logistics center staff, evacuated on their own at the time of the fire, and no civilian casualties have been confirmed so far. However, one firefighter in their 40s who was driving a ladder truck inhaled smoke and was transported to a hospital, where the firefighter is reportedly receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
The building that caught fire is an eight-story, reinforced concrete structure with a total floor area of about 299,000 square meters. The Seohae District of Incheon advised via a safety alert text, "Due to the fire, large amounts of smoke and dust are being generated. Nearby residents should keep windows closed and refrain from outdoor activities."
Fire authorities plan to investigate the exact cause of the fire and the extent of the damage after the blaze is completely extinguished.