"Comprehensive Support for Bereaved Families and Injured Victims"
Kim Dong-yeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, stated on the 24th regarding the fire at a primary battery manufacturing company in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, "There are 5,934 hazardous chemical business sites and 86 lithium-related business sites in the jurisdiction," adding, "We plan to conduct a thorough inspection of safety issues at these sites, including advanced industry sites such as energy and semiconductors."
At a briefing at the fire site, Governor Kim said, "I offer my condolences to the victims who lost their lives in this unfortunate accident. Above all, we will provide comprehensive support to the bereaved families of the deceased and the injured," and stated that measures for accident recovery and prevention of recurrence will be pursued simultaneously.
Gyeonggi Province has established an integrated support center for victims at Hwaseong City Hall, and will assign provincial government staff to funeral homes where the deceased are laid to rest and medical institutions where the injured are hospitalized to provide legal and insurance consultations. Additionally, support measures for the injured’s livelihood stabilization will be prepared, and thorough efforts will be made to manage the damage at the site. Considering that 20 of the 22 victims who died in this fire were foreigners, dedicated staff will be assigned to the bereaved families to provide one-stop services including airfare, accommodation expenses, and interpretation.
The Hwaseong Arisell Factory Fire Investigation Headquarters of the Southern Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency announced that on the 25th at 10:30 a.m., a joint inspection will be conducted with firefighting authorities, the National Forensic Service, the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency. About 30 personnel from six organizations will participate in this inspection to accurately determine the cause of the fire. The police have formed an investigation headquarters consisting of 130 members, including 35 from the Criminal Mobile Unit, 25 detectives from Hwaseong Western Police Station, 35 from the Forensic Investigation Unit, and 25 from the Victim Protection Division.
Earlier, a fire broke out at 10:31 a.m. at the Arisell factory, a primary battery company located in Jeongok-ri, Seosin-myeon, Hwaseong City. The fire resulted in 22 deaths, 8 serious injuries, and 1 person missing.
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