88 People Hospitalized Due to Smoke Inhalation, 54 Rescued... Firefighters Conduct Internal Suppression and Search
Strong Winds Fanned Flames, Quickly Spreading Across the Entire Building Exterior
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] At 11:07 PM on the 8th, when a strong wind advisory was issued, a fire that started at the 33-story mixed-use apartment building Samhwan Arnuvo in Nam-gu, Ulsan, has not been extinguished for over 11 hours.
Although it seemed that the initial firefighting was successful, the fire reignited on the 18th floor, and the fire department used helicopters to suppress the fire until 10 AM on the 9th. The flames, which had briefly subsided, spread again to the opposite side around 10:20 AM.
Ulsan does not have an aerial ladder truck for high-rise firefighting, leaving the fire department currently helpless. According to the fire department, there are about 10 aerial ladder trucks nationwide that can reach buildings up to 23 floors high with a length of 70 meters. Two are deployed each in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon, and one each in Busan, Daejeon, Sejong, and Jeju.
Earlier, the strong wind fanned the flames, causing the fire to quickly spread along the building's exterior sandwich panels up to the rooftop.
In the early stages of the fire, dozens of residents evacuated to the rooftop and the 28th-floor refuge floor, waiting for rescue, and about 20 people who inhaled smoke while escaping the scene were transported to hospitals.
As the flames spread, residents anxiously searched for their family members who became separated while evacuating to the rooftop, refuge floors, and outside the building.
One resident anxiously paced while searching for missing children. Some residents fled so hastily that they escaped the building without even putting on their shoes.
On the morning of the 9th, firefighters are conducting extinguishing operations using an aerial ladder at the fire scene of the Samhwan Arnuvo mixed-use apartment complex in Nam-gu, Ulsan.
About two hours after the fire started, it seemed the major fire was contained, but it then spread inside the apartment. Firefighters entered individual units and continued extinguishing the fire until 7 AM on the 9th while checking the residents' damage status.
As of 6 AM, the Ulsan Fire Headquarters rescued 77 residents who had evacuated to refuge floors and the rooftop after the fire broke out. A total of 88 residents, including those rescued and those who escaped on their own, were transported to hospitals for treatment due to smoke inhalation and injuries sustained during evacuation.
According to firefighters, they responded to the first report at around 11:20 PM on the 8th, which stated, "There is a fire at the air conditioner outdoor unit." The exact cause of the fire is under investigation.
Minister Jin Young of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety visited the fire site on the morning of the 9th.
Minister Jin took the KTX bound for Ulsan and arrived at the fire site in Nam-gu, Ulsan, around 8:20 AM to inspect the damage situation. He ordered efforts to support fire victims and treat the injured.
Earlier, immediately after the fire broke out, Minister Jin was briefed on the situation and instructed, "Mobilize all administrative resources to fully focus on fire suppression and rescue operations, and ensure the safety of firefighters during the rescue process."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
