[On-site Video] "Is My Brother Safe..." Yeongdeungpo Gosiwon Fire, Former Residents Sigh

[Asia Economy PD Yoon Jin-geun] “(Among the residents) there was an elderly person I was close with who has difficulty moving. I’m worried if they managed to get out safely.”

On the morning of the 11th around 6:30 AM, a fire broke out in a goshiwon located in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, raising concerns about the poor living conditions of the residents and their safety.

As a result of the fire, a man in his 50s and a man in his 70s were found collapsed in the hallway of the goshiwon. Both were transported to the hospital but died while receiving treatment. Seventeen other residents evacuated on their own. It is reported that no additional injuries occurred during the evacuation.

The goshiwon, located on the 2nd floor of a 3-story building, had most of its windows broken due to the fire. Inside the broken windows, soot-stained clothes and curtains fluttered. Through the window facing the building entrance, part of the ceiling framework appeared to have collapsed.

A former resident of the goshiwon, Mr. A (60), who was met at the fire scene, lamented, “When you go up the (goshiwon) stairs, there are more than thirty rooms packed like a beehive.”

Mr. A, who visited the site again in the afternoon, was worried about the safety of an acquaintance. He said, “There is an elderly person over 70 inside whom I was close with, but they have a leg injury and have difficulty moving,” adding, “I’m worried if that person managed to get out safely.”

Meanwhile, the fire department issued a Level 1 response about 10 minutes after the fire started, around 6:42 AM, and after controlling the major flames, completely extinguished the fire around 9:37 AM, three hours after the incident. The firefighting operation involved 145 personnel and 42 pieces of equipment.