Last Call to Mother at the Time of the Accident
Police Launch Investigation into Mocking Posts Targeting Victims
The funerals for the victims who died in the fire at a hotel in Jung-dong, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi Province on the 22nd have begun.
On the morning of the 25th, a hearse carrying the remains of the deceased is heading to the burial site from the funeral hall at Catholic University Bucheon St. Mary's Hospital in Wonmi-gu, Bucheon City. [Image source=Yonhap News]
At 11:55 a.m. on the 25th, the funeral ceremony for Kim (28), who died in the Bucheon hotel fire, was held at Bucheon St. Mary's Hospital funeral hall. The bereaved family said that the deceased had returned from studying abroad and was preparing for a civil service exam, and was always a warm person who cared deeply for his family. Kim, who was on the 7th floor of the hotel where the fire broke out, made a final phone call to his mother, Yang, saying, "Mom, I'm at the hotel and there's a fire. I don't think I can talk anymore," and left a parting message: "Don't hold a funeral, and throw away all the diaries I wrote. Mom, you have to live well for both of us." Afterwards, Kim was found in cardiac arrest in the 7th-floor room and was transported to the hospital but ultimately passed away.
Although she was a mother who wanted to fulfill all her daughter's wishes, she could not grant the request to forgo the funeral. At the funeral, Kim's father wept, saying, "Dad loves you. Dad is sorry," while the mother covered her mouth with a handkerchief and shed tears.
On the same day, the funeral for Jung (44), who also died in the fire, was held at Bucheon Funeral Hall. Kim and Jung will be cremated at Hambaksan Memorial Park in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi Province, and their ashes will be interred at Hambaksan Memorial Park and their ancestral graves, respectively. The remaining five victims of the Bucheon hotel fire will have their funerals on the 26th.
On the morning of the 24th, police are controlling the scene at a hotel fire in Jung-dong, Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Earlier, at 7:39 p.m. on the 22nd, a large fire, presumed to be caused by an electrical issue, broke out at a hotel in Wonmi-gu, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi Province. The incident resulted in 7 deaths and 12 injuries, with a total of 19 casualties. Although the flames did not spread throughout the entire hotel building, toxic gases rapidly filled the interior, and the lack of sprinklers in the rooms caused significant damage.
Additionally, on the same day, the Cyber Crime Investigation Unit of the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency began a pre-investigation into individuals who posted mocking comments about the victims of this incident on internet communities. The posts reportedly contained harsh criticism and ridicule of the victims who were staying at the hotel on a weekday when the accident occurred. The police plan to collect related evidence and identify the authors of the posts. If deemed a clear crime, they will proceed with formal charges and strict investigation and punishment.
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