7 Dead, 12 Injured... Injured Receiving Treatment at Hospital
Minister of the Interior and Safety, Sang-min Lee, urged a thorough investigation into the cause and the establishment of countermeasures regarding the fire accident that occurred the previous day (22nd) at a hotel in Jung-dong, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi Province.
On the 23rd, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that Minister Lee arrived at the fire site around 9 a.m. that day and received a report on the occurrence and response status of the fire accident from Joon-ho Ji, Chief of Bucheon Fire Station, and gave these instructions.
The minister said, "I express my deepest condolences and sympathy to those who lost their lives in this fire and their bereaved families," and urged that all efforts be made to manage the aftermath of the accident, thoroughly investigate the cause, and prepare measures to prevent recurrence.
At around 7:39 p.m. the previous day, a fire broke out at a 9-story hotel located in Jung-dong, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon-si, resulting in 7 guests dead and 12 injured. Among the injured, 3 were seriously injured and 9 had minor injuries; all 12 were transported to hospitals by 119 emergency medical services and are receiving treatment. According to authorities, casualties were found in the internal stairs and corridors on the 8th floor. The victims were transferred to six medical institutions, including Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital. Although the fire, which started in a room on the 8th floor, did not spread throughout the entire hotel, the interior of the building was filled with thick black smoke, which reportedly caused significant casualties.
At the time of the fire, it is known that about 23 people were staying at the hotel. As the number of confirmed deaths is increasing during the search for victims, the police and fire authorities are continuing structural operations inside the hotel. Authorities stated in the second on-site briefing that a third round of victim search is currently underway, and a final, more detailed search will be conducted once more afterward.
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