"Miraculous Survival of Female University Student in Bucheon Hotel Fire Starting from Shower in Bathroom"

Deemed Risky to Attempt Escape... Waiting for Rescue in Bathroom
Remembered Information That Water Temporarily Blocks Toxic Gas

The story of a survivor who was dramatically rescued from a hotel fire in Bucheon that resulted in 19 casualties has been revealed. The survivor, who stayed in room 806, is known to have turned on the shower in the bathroom to block the toxic gas.

A, a nursing student from a university in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, recently came to a university hospital in Bucheon for practical training and stayed at this hotel.

Since A was staying not far from room 810, where the fire started, they quickly realized the fire. A said, “I smelled something burning and opened the room door, but the entire corridor was covered in smoke,” adding, “I couldn’t even see the numbers of other rooms.”

Afterwards, A also opened the window on the opposite side of the room, but seeing the smoke continuing to spread, they judged that attempting to escape was more dangerous, so they closed all the doors and headed to the bathroom.

A fire occurred on the 22nd at a hotel in Bucheon [Image source=Yonhap News]

Then, A called 119 and, following the firefighter’s instructions, blocked the gaps around the bathroom door with towels to block the smoke and turned on the shower, holding it over their head. This was because they recalled information that the water sprayed could form a water film that temporarily blocks toxic gas.

After calmly responding, A stayed in the bathroom and was miraculously rescued by firefighters who were deployed multiple times for search and rescue operations.

A recalled the rescue situation, saying, “I don’t remember how long I waited in the bathroom,” and “I tried to open the door when I heard someone knocking, but I lost strength and fainted right there.”

On the 23rd, A’s mother, who returned to the fire site to retrieve A’s belongings left at the accommodation, such as a laptop and wallet, said, “My daughter, a nursing student, responded well by turning on the shower,” and added, “I hope these response methods become widely known in case similar situations occur in the future.”

Earlier, around 7:39 p.m. on the 22nd, a fire broke out at a hotel in Jung-dong, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, resulting in 19 casualties, including 7 deaths and 12 injuries. The hotel building, completed in 2004, has 63 rooms, and it is known that 27 people were staying there on the day of the fire.