Firefighter dies after cardiac arrest at Bucheon factory blaze; funeral to be held with Gyeonggi Province honors

A firefighter who suffered cardiac arrest while battling a factory fire in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, on Friday has died.

According to police and other authorities, the firefighter, a man in his 40s, went into cardiac arrest during the blaze and was transported to a hospital, where he later died.

His funeral will be held as a Gyeonggi Province official ceremony, in accordance with the wishes of his family.

A memorial altar has been set up at the funeral hall of Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, and a joint condolence hall open to the general public has been established at the Sejong Central Park urban festival grounds.

A farewell ceremony is scheduled for Monday. The joint condolence hall will remain open until the ceremony concludes.

The fire broke out at around 8:38 a.m. Friday at a metal injection printing factory in Naedong, Ojeong-gu, Bucheon, and was extinguished after two hours and 28 minutes.

In addition to the firefighter who died, another firefighter in his 40s suffered serious injuries. Both were among the first responders to arrive at the scene and were engaged in suppressing the fire at the time.

Four other firefighters were taken to hospital after showing symptoms of heat exhaustion, and two factory workers were also hospitalized for smoke inhalation, bringing the total number of injured to eight.

Police, fire authorities and other relevant agencies began a joint forensic investigation at the factory site in Naedong, Ojeong-gu on Saturday morning to determine the cause of the fire.