The number of fatalities from the fire that broke out at an apartment in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province, on the night of 17th has increased to 3.
According to the police and fire authorities on the 18th, 2 individuals who were seriously injured and receiving treatment in the hospital have died. Earlier, a woman in her 60s was found in cardiac arrest and died after being transported to the hospital. Thus, the casualties are confirmed as 3 fatalities, 20 serious injuries, and 42 minor injuries.
Previously, at a 10-story apartment building in Soha-dong, Gwangmyeong, a fire started in the parking lot located on the first floor, which was vacant except for pillars, around 9:10 p.m. the previous day. The fire was extinguished in about 1 hour and 20 minutes, but the flames rapidly spread to the rooftop, resulting in significant casualties.
The apartment where the fire broke out is referred to as a 'single-household apartment' with only one building (block). It consists of 10 floors with a total of 45 households, housing 116 residents. Residents live on floors 2 to 10, excluding the first floor used as a parking lot.
Police analyzed the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage recorded in the parking lot at the time of the ignition and identified that the fire started near the ceiling of the parking lot. Fire authorities confirmed wire short-circuit marks within the cable tray located in the ceiling of the parking lot, suspecting that the fire was caused by an electric leak. When a short circuit occurs while electricity is flowing, melting and solidifying of wires creates the short-circuit marks.
Fire authorities believe that the flames rapidly spread along the insulation material surrounding the cable tray where the fire started. The police and fire authorities plan to ascertain the exact cause of the fire through a joint investigation.
This fire is presumed to have caused significant damage due to its piloti structure. This design is open to the outside, allowing ample air influx which facilitates rapid fire spread once a fire occurs. All 25 vehicles parked at the time of the fire were burned, serving as kindling.
It has been identified that the building, which was approved for use in July 2014, was not required to install sprinklers. According to fire facility laws, the obligation to install sprinklers has been in effect since June 1990 for buildings taller than 16 stories. The requirement has been expanded to buildings taller than 11 stories in 2005 and taller than 6 stories in 2018.