Police form 33-member investigation team; joint forensic inspection centers on thinner-washing room
Factory had no permit for hazardous materials; officials probe safety management failures
One firefighter dead, seven injured; negligent homicide charges under review
Police have formed a 33-member investigative team to determine the cause of a fire at a metal injection and painting factory in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, that killed one firefighter and injured seven others. Investigators found about 180 containers of flammable material at the scene and confirmed the building had no sprinkler system. Whether hazardous materials were handled properly and adequate fire-prevention measures were in place is expected to be the central focus of the investigation.
The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency said Saturday it had organized the dedicated team under Jang Seong-yun, chief of the wide-area crime investigation unit, with the rank of superintendent. The team comprises 25 investigators from the unit's serious industrial accident section and eight forensic specialists.
Beginning at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, police conducted a joint forensic inspection at the fire scene in Naedong, Ojong-gu, Bucheon, alongside the fire department, the National Forensic Service and the Korea Electrical Safety Corporation. Investigators are focusing on the area around a thinner-washing machine on the factory's third floor — believed to be where the fire started — to pinpoint the origin of the blaze and determine whether any mechanical or electrical defects were involved.
Investigators are paying particular attention to how rapidly the flames and black smoke spread, trapping two firefighters from the first-response unit who were unable to evacuate. Police have also called in factory personnel as witnesses to examine working conditions at the time of the fire and whether safety protocols were followed.
About 180 containers of flammable material, believed to be a Class 2 petroleum product under Category 4 hazardous substances, were found at the scene. The factory had no record of obtaining a permit for handling hazardous materials. Whether any violations of hazardous materials regulations occurred will be investigated separately by the fire department's special judicial police.
The building was also confirmed to have no sprinklers. The factory is a so-called "apartment-style" industrial building, with different businesses occupying each floor, and has a floor area of 362 square meters — below the threshold that triggers mandatory sprinkler installation under fire safety regulations.
Based on the forensic inspection and witness statements, police plan to apply charges of occupational negligence causing injury and occupational negligent fire to those responsible at the company. They are also reviewing whether occupational negligence causing death charges can be applied in connection with the firefighter who died.
The fire broke out on the third floor of the factory at around 8:38 a.m. Friday and was fully extinguished at around 11:06 a.m., about two hours and 28 minutes later. Two firefighters in their 40s from the first-response unit became trapped while fighting the blaze. One of them, identified only as A, was transported to hospital in cardiac arrest and later died during treatment. The other sustained serious injuries. Four additional firefighters and two factory workers were also taken to hospital for heat exhaustion and smoke inhalation, bringing the total number of casualties to eight.
kacew@heraldcorp.com
