As a fire at a Coupang logistics warehouse in Incheon has continued for a third day, police formed a dedicated investigative team to determine the specific cause.
The Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency said on the 20th it set up the "Seoknam-dong Coupang Logistics Center Fire Investigation Task Force" to investigate the warehouse blaze.
The task force includes 35 officers drawn from units such as the Metropolitan Crime Investigation Division's Metropolitan Crime Investigation Team 1 and the Serious Accidents Investigation Unit. Head of Team is Jang Seong-yun, chief of the Metropolitan Crime Investigation Division.
The task force plans to focus on identifying the point where the fire first started and why the flames spread so quickly.
Police also said once the flames are fully contained, they will conduct a joint forensic inspection at the site with the National Forensic Service. Police plan to set the direction of this investigation by closely reviewing the June 2021 fire at the Deokpyeong logistics warehouse in Icheon, Gyeonggi.
In the Icheon fire five years ago, it was revealed that disaster control room staff forcibly shut off the emergency alarm device six times, missing the initial golden time for suppression, and they were prosecuted on charges of violating the Firefighting Facilities Act. Three related officials—including an employee of a subcontractor that managed the facility at the time and a fire safety manager—were ultimately given suspended prison sentences after being found guilty in court.
Meanwhile, the latest fire first broke out around 6:54 a.m. on the 18th at Coupang Logistics Center No. 32 in Seoknam-dong, Seohae District, Incheon. Well over 54 hours after the blaze began, embers are still smoldering, hampering efforts to put it out. The fire headquarters has kept in place the nationwide firepower mobilization order issued on the first afternoon, deploying 231 pieces of equipment, including fire engines, and 812 personnel to the scene to fully contain the flames.