Police: "Electricity appears to have flowed into the hot water bath"
Emergency transfer to nearby hospital in cardiac arrest
Issue not found during safety inspection last June
In the early morning of the 24th, three women in their 70s who were bathing at a public bathhouse in Sejong City were electrocuted and transported to the hospital in cardiac arrest, but all of them died.
According to Sejong City and Sejong Police Agency, at around 5:37 a.m. that day, A and B (both 71) and C (70), who were in the hot water bath at a women's bathhouse located in the basement level 1 of a motel building in Jukrim-ri, Jochiwon-eup, screamed and collapsed. Another woman in the changing room saw this and called 119.
There were several other people in the women's bath at the time, but only the three who entered the hot water bath were affected.
The fire department, which arrived at the scene, urgently transported those in cardiac arrest to the hospital. A and B, who were moved to Chungbuk National University Hospital and Cheongju Hana Hospital, died, and shortly after, C, who was transferred to Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital, also died.
The police, fire department, and Korea Electrical Safety Corporation believe that they were electrocuted. A police official said, "It appears that electricity flowed into the hot water bath," adding, "A joint inspection has been underway since 1 p.m. to determine the cause of the electrical leakage."
The building where the accident occurred is a basement level 1 and three-story structure, approved for use in December 1984. The basement level 1 was used as the women's bath, the first floor housed the counter and men's bath, and the second and third floors were used as a motel. During the electrical safety inspection by the Korea Electrical Safety Corporation in June, no particular issues were reported.
Sejong City plans to inspect the electrical safety of about 20 public bathhouses in the area following this accident.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
