It has been belatedly reported that another firefighter suffering from trauma after the Itaewon disaster has died.
According to the Gyeongnam Fire Department on the 21st, a firefighter in his 40s, identified as A, was found dead at his home in the province on the 29th of last month.
Police investigations found no evidence suggesting homicide.
Firefighter A responded to the scene as part of the Yongsan Fire Station during the Itaewon disaster on October 29, 2022.
He was significantly shocked after witnessing the bodies of multiple victims at the scene and the wails of bereaved families, and it is known that he later suffered from anxiety disorders.
Firefighter A, who transferred from the Yongsan Fire Station to the Goseong Fire Station at the end of February, had been on sick leave and a long-term leave of absence, and was found dead at the end of last month while still on sick leave.
He applied for official medical leave just before transferring to the Goseong Fire Station, but his request was not recognized as job-related, and he received a notice of disapproval from the Ministry of Personnel Management in June.
The family of Firefighter A is reportedly preparing to apply for a declaration of death in the line of duty.
The Gyeongnam Fire Department plans to support the subsequent procedures once the family expresses their intention to apply for the declaration of death in the line of duty.
On the 20th, a firefighter in his 30s, who had been suffering from depression after responding to the Itaewon disaster, was found dead 10 days after going missing.
The 10.29 Itaewon disaster bereaved family council and the 10.29 Itaewon disaster citizens' countermeasures meeting issued a commemorative statement demanding, 'Even now, it is necessary for the government to take active measures to broadly support survivors, local merchants and residents, as well as rescuers and witnesses, to heal and recover from trauma.'