Explosion 59 Hours After Parking, Parking Lot Devastated... Joint Forensic Investigation by NFS and Authorities on Incheon Electric Vehicle Accident

Battery Pack and Other Parts Collection Deemed Risky, Postponed
Police: "Vehicle Moved to Another Location for Parts Separation"

The electric vehicle that caught fire in the underground parking lot of an apartment in Cheongna, Incheon, was found to have exploded and caught fire after being parked for nearly three days.

On the morning of the 5th, the National Forensic Service (hereinafter 'NFS') conducted a joint inspection of the vehicle together with the police and fire authorities, Yonhap News reported on the same day. The police advanced the originally scheduled joint inspection with the NFS from the 8th to the 5th, and about 20 officials from related organizations, including the NFS, the Incheon Police Department's Scientific Investigation Unit, and the Incheon Fire Headquarters Fire Investigation Team, participated in the joint inspection.

On the morning of the 2nd, officials from the National Forensic Service, police, and fire department are conducting a joint inspection at the site of a fire in the underground parking lot of an apartment in Cheongna, Seo-gu, Incheon.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The owner of the Mercedes electric vehicle, a man in his 40s identified as Mr. A, who was pointed out as the initial ignition point, parked his car in the underground first-floor parking lot of an apartment in Cheongna-dong, Seo-gu, Incheon, at around 7:16 p.m. on the 29th of last month. The fire started at around 6:15 a.m. on the 1st. In other words, the fire suddenly broke out 59 hours after parking. The electric vehicle was registered under Mr. A’s name and was parked in a regular parking space, not at an electric vehicle charging station at the time of the accident.

Analysis of the on-site closed-circuit television (CCTV) by the police confirmed that there was no external impact on the vehicle from the time Mr. A last parked it until the fire broke out. Mr. A testified to the police that "he did not operate the vehicle after parking it on the 29th of last month." The CCTV footage capturing the fire situation showed smoke billowing from Mr. A’s vehicle parked in the underground parking lot, followed by an explosion and flames rising.

The inspection team attempted to collect major components such as the battery pack from the vehicle but stopped the disassembly work due to safety concerns. Accordingly, the inspection team decided to move and store the fire-damaged vehicle at the Incheon Western Police Station and will secure the necessary parts for inspection later by setting a new schedule and location. A police official said, "To facilitate smooth damage recovery, the vehicle body will be moved to the police station," adding, "The parts disassembly work will be conducted at a different location."

Meanwhile, the fire that occurred on the 1st burned about 40 vehicles parked in the underground parking lot and caused heat and soot damage to about 100 others. In addition, a total of 23 people, including 22 residents and one firefighter, were transported to hospitals for treatment. At the time of the fire, the fire authorities struggled to enter the underground parking lot due to a large amount of smoke and extinguished the fire after 8 hours and 20 minutes. Currently, the apartment complex has been experiencing power and water outages for five days due to the fire, and about 400 residents in some buildings are living in shelters, enduring discomfort amid the heatwave.