Possibility of Defective Air Mattress in Bucheon Fire... "7-Year Usage Period, but Used for 18 Years"

"Air mattress flipping accident is very unusual"

At the scene of the hotel fire in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, where 2 of the 7 deceased victims jumped from the 7th floor onto an air mattress and died, Professor Yeom Geon-ung of the Department of Police and Fire Administration at U1 University stated, "Considering that the bottom of the air mattress was inflated, it is highly likely that the air mattress itself was defective," and claimed, "The usage period is 7 years, but it was reused after review for 18 years, which is more than twice the intended duration."

On the 26th, Professor Yeom said on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' "(When the air mattress exceeds its usage period) not only does the elasticity of the rubber decrease, but there is also a possibility that the air will not be evenly injected or that air may leak." He explained that incidents of air mattresses flipping over are unusual, stating, "As far as I know, there have been no reported cases of air mattresses flipping over in South Korea."

On the morning of the 24th, a citizen is taking a photo at a hotel in Jung-dong, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do. [Image source=Yonhap News]

He also pointed out that the location where the air mattress was installed at the fire scene was problematic. He said, "Even if an air mattress is installed on a flat surface, the survival rate decreases when falling from a high floor, but the place where the air mattress was installed was a slope," adding, "Air mattresses should not be installed on slopes."

Professor Yeom said, "Firefighting regulations allow the use of air mattresses only up to 15 meters," and "The highest survival rate when jumping onto an air mattress is from the 4th or 5th floor, so jumping from higher floors does not guarantee safety." Due to this accident, two guests who died jumped from the 7th floor to escape, but the air mattress flipped due to rebound, and they were transported to the hospital in cardiac arrest but eventually died.

He also said, "According to firefighting manuals, there should be people holding the air mattress to ensure safety during installation," but "there were no firefighters holding the air mattress at the scene."

On the evening of the 22nd at 7:34 PM, a fire broke out at a hotel in Jung-dong, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon City, Gyeonggi Province. Fire authorities believe the fire started when sparks from an air conditioner short circuit in room 810 on the 7th floor spread to the sofa and bed, causing the fire to grow. The fire department arrived at the scene within 4 minutes of the report and installed an air mattress outside the hotel on the 1st floor. However, after two guests died jumping onto the air mattress, questions have been raised about the appropriateness of the air mattress installation and the fire department's response.

However, the fire authorities maintain that there was no problem with the air mattress installation. On the 23rd, Cho Sun-ho, head of the Gyeonggi Province Fire and Disaster Headquarters, said at a briefing, "(The air mattress) was properly installed for use from the 10th floor or higher," adding, "The window was small, and the manual states that falling in the center is safest, but the first person who jumped landed on the edge."