[Summary] "My younger sibling is at home"... Tragic fire accident involving brothers in Ulsan apartment

Younger Brother and Older Brother Trying to Save Him... 18-Year-Old and 9-Year-Old Siblings Die in Ulsan Apartment Fire

On the morning of the 8th, a fire broke out in an apartment in Dong-gu, Ulsan, resulting in the deaths of two children. The photo shows the interior of the apartment where the fire occurred. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] A tragic accident occurred in Ulsan where a fire in an apartment resulted in the deaths of two brothers aged 9 and 18.

According to the police and fire authorities, a fire broke out around 4:06 a.m. on the 8th on the 13th floor of an apartment in Jeonha-dong, Dong-gu, Ulsan.

As a result of the fire, the older brother A (18), a second-year high school student, and his younger brother B (9), a third-grade elementary school student, died.

According to the police, A, who was playing with a friend that day, cooked ramen because he was hungry and then lit a scented candle on the living room table to eliminate the smell. Afterwards, they headed to a convenience store to buy drinks. At that time, B was sleeping in the master bedroom, according to the investigation.

In the police investigation, A’s friend reportedly stated that "Upon seeing the house on fire, A shouted 'My younger brother is inside the house' and then went inside."

The police stated that when they arrived, A was found dead after falling on the first-floor floor, and B was found dead inside the house.

The police believe that A, who has a disability and could not move properly, tried to save his younger brother but was unable to escape the fire and fell after hanging on the apartment railing.

At the time of the fire, the brothers’ parents were away from home running a restaurant, according to the investigation.

The fire brigade that arrived on the scene extinguished the fire within about 30 minutes. Eight apartment residents inhaled smoke from the fire and were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The apartment where the fire occurred was built in 1997 and was found not to have sprinklers installed.

The police and fire authorities are investigating the exact cause of the fire and the extent of the damage.