Two Rescue Workers Killed in Fire at Factory in Mungyeong, Gyeongbuk

Trapped While Searching for People on the 3rd Floor of a Building

Two rescue workers who were trapped after being deployed to a fire at a meat processing plant in Mungyeong, Gyeongbuk, were found dead.

Fire authorities recovered the body of one rescue worker who died after being trapped during firefighting operations at a meat processing plant in Singi-dong, Mungyeong-si, Gyeongbuk, at 1:01 a.m. on the 1st, and then recovered the body of another rescue worker at around 4:14 a.m. and transported it to a hospital.

At the time of discovery, the two rescue workers were located about 5 to 7 meters apart, but the fire authorities explained that the search was difficult because many structures were piled on top of the bodies. Both rescue workers were in a condition where their identities could not be confirmed with the naked eye, so their exact identities will be confirmed after DNA testing.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The fallen workers were Kim (27), a firefighter, and Park (35), a fire sergeant, both belonging to the 119 Rescue and Emergency Center of the Mungyeong Fire Station. They were trapped in flames while conducting a search for survivors and checking the fire source on the third floor of the building. The fire authorities stated that just before escaping, the flames rapidly spread, and although they tried to evacuate via the stairs, it appears they were unable to escape in time.

The bereaved families are waiting at a nearby village hall with a psychological counseling support team. The funerals of the fallen workers will be conducted under official procedures organized by the National Fire Agency.

The fire broke out at around 7:47 p.m. the previous day. As the flames spread, the building collapsed, and the fire authorities issued a Level 2 response at around 8:49 p.m. The major flames were brought under control at around 12:20 a.m. that day. A total of 47 pieces of equipment and 331 personnel were deployed to the fire scene.

At the time of the fire, five factory workers evacuated, but one of them inhaled smoke and received hospital treatment.

The building where the fire occurred was a four-story structure with a total floor area of 4,319㎡, constructed with sandwich panels, and was approved for use in May 2020. The police and fire authorities plan to conduct a joint investigation starting as early as that day to determine the cause of the fire and the circumstances of the accident.