7 Dead in Bucheon Fire Laid to Rest...Tearful Joint Funeral Held for 'Soon-to-be Newlyweds'

Joint Funeral Held at Bucheon General Hospital Funeral Hall
Police Book Business Owner on Charges of Negligent Homicide and Injury

All seven guests who died in the Bucheon hotel fire have been laid to rest. On the 26th, Yonhap News reported that Bucheon City, Gyeonggi Province, held a funeral ceremony for five of the seven victims who died in the hotel fire in Jung-dong, Wonmi-gu, on the afternoon of the 22nd. Among the deceased who were laid to rest that day was a couple who were soon to be married. The bereaved family of the deceased engaged couple held a joint funeral at a general hospital funeral hall in Bucheon.

On the morning of the 25th, the funeral procession carrying the remains of one of the seven victims who died in the Bucheon hotel fire on the 22nd was heading to the burial site from the funeral hall at Bucheon St. Mary's Hospital of Catholic University in Wonmi-gu, Bucheon City.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

On the previous day, the 21st, two of the seven victims had their funerals. Thus, all seven victims of the fire were laid to rest according to the funeral procedures arranged by their families. The funeral halls for the victims were set up at three locations in Soonchunhyang University Hospital, one at Bucheon Funeral Hall, two at Bucheon St. Mary's Hospital, and one at Busan Samsin Specialized Funeral Hall.

The fire occurred around 7:39 p.m. on the 22nd at a hotel in Jung-dong, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon. Seven domestic guests died in the fire, and 12 others sustained moderate to severe injuries. The fire authorities estimated that after the guests left their rooms, sparks from the air conditioner fell onto the sofa and bed, causing the flames to spread. The fire department explained that the interior had many plywood wooden materials and no sprinklers installed, which contributed to the fire's expansion. In particular, authorities suspect that the mattress in the room acted as a fire accelerant during the incident.

Meanwhile, regarding the Bucheon hotel fire that resulted in 19 casualties, the police have booked two individuals, including the hotel owner. The Bucheon Hotel Investigation Headquarters of the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency announced that they have criminally charged A, a man in his 40s, the hotel owner, and B, the nominal owner also in his 40s, on charges of professional negligence causing death and injury, and have imposed a travel ban. The police plan to conduct a focused investigation into the cause of the fire and the reasons for the high number of casualties. Earlier, the police completed witness interviews with 15 people, including survivors and witnesses, as well as the guest in room 810, which was identified as the point of origin of the fire.