The point of ignition has been confirmed during the joint investigation of the fire at the 'Banyan Tree Haeundae Busan' complex resort construction site, which left 6 dead.
The Busan police agency's scientific investigation team, fire department, National Institute of Forensic Science, Ministry of Employment and Labor, and National Disaster Management Agency conducted a joint investigation at the fire scene for about two hours starting around 10:30 a.m. on the 16th.
A police official noted, "The ignition point was identified around the plumbing near the 'PT room,' and the cause of the ignition will be concluded after verifying the statements of the workers present and the times of entry to the site on the CCTV."
"PT room" (Plumbing terminal room) is a space for managing, maintaining, and repairing plumbing. The first floor of Building B, where the PT room is located, is where the 6 deaths occurred in this fire.
Before the joint investigation on that day, police had already secured a statement from the fire reporter, indicating that "a fire broke out while they were doing interior work near the PT room on the first floor of Building B."
During the joint investigation on that day, police are also collecting and analyzing 10 items of evidence such as phones, helmets, and vests presumed to belong to the workers. A police official said, "So far, only the initial point of ignition has been confirmed," adding, "We plan to continue additional reviews and investigations based on the investigation results."
An autopsy of all deceased is scheduled for the 17th.
The Busan Employment and Labor Office is verifying whether there were any violations of the Serious Accident Punishment Act. The investigation is expected to include the main contractor, Samjeong Corporations, as well as the subcontractors to which the deceased workers belonged.
This fire occurred around 10:51 a.m. on the 14th near the 'Banyan Tree Haeundae Busan' construction site at Oryangdae Park in the Osiria tourism complex of Busan.
As a result of this fire, 6 workers died, and 27 others suffered injuries from smoke inhalation. The fire was completely extinguished at 6:53 p.m. on the 14th after burning for over 8 hours.