Namyangju-si Quickly Responds to Fire at Hopyeong Sports and Culture Center to Minimize Damage

Mayor Joo Gwang-deok: "We Will Prevent Recurrence Through Thorough Investigation and Inspection"

Namyangju City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Joo Gwang-deok) swiftly responded to a fire that occurred around 6 a.m. on the 9th at the Hopyeong Sports and Culture Center, minimizing the damage.

Namyangju Mayor Joo Gwang-deok is inspecting the damage caused by the fire that occurred around 6 a.m. on the 9th at the Hopyeong Sports and Culture Center. Photo by Namyangju City

The fire is presumed to have started in the piloti structure ceiling at the entrance of the Hopyeong Toy Library and was completely extinguished within 34 minutes of its outbreak.

Immediately after the fire broke out, Namyangju City reported it to 119 and promptly evacuated visitors to secure safety at the scene.

At the site, △25 fire trucks △1 ambulance △53 firefighting personnel △2 police cars △10 police officers △and about 30 officials and staff from Namyangju Urban Corporation were deployed.

There were no casualties from the fire except for one information desk employee who inhaled smoke and underwent hospital examination before returning home. Property damage was identified as the complete destruction of the ceiling at the entrance of the Hopyeong Toy Library.

Immediately after the fire, Mayor Joo Gwang-deok personally visited the site to inspect the damage and the initial response process.

At the scene, Mayor Joo said, “We apologize for the inconvenience caused to visitors due to this fire. We will thoroughly restore and inspect the facilities to quickly establish a safe environment, and through measures to prevent recurrence, we will strive to provide safe and pleasant public facilities to the local community.”

Currently, a joint investigation involving the fire station, police station, and Korea Electrical Safety Corporation is underway to determine the cause of the fire, while fire-specialized cleaning companies are conducting restoration work and facility safety inspections concurrently.