14 Suffer Carbon Monoxide Poisoning at Wando Resort on Children's Day

One Person in Charge of 109 Rooms Raises Safety Concerns
Police Book Resort Safety Manager for Occupational Negligence Resulting in Injury

On Children's Day, an incident occurred at a resort in Wando, South Jeolla Province, where 14 guests suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning. The resort's safety manager, identified as Mr. A, has been booked by the police.

On May 22, the Criminal Investigation Unit of the South Jeolla Provincial Police Agency announced that Mr. A, the resort's safety manager, was booked without detention and is under investigation on charges of occupational negligence resulting in injury, due to alleged negligence in managing the resort that led to the carbon monoxide leak and injuries to multiple guests.

The incident took place on May 5, during the Children's Day holiday, which coincided with a local festival, resulting in a surge of guests at the resort. There were a total of 14 victims: 11 of them showed symptoms of poisoning in four rooms on the fourth floor, while the remaining three were affected in rooms on the third and sixth floors?two on the third floor and one on the sixth. Among the victims, five were confirmed to be teenagers.

According to the police investigation, the gas leak originated from the hot water boiler room on the fourth floor, where most of the injured were located. Joint on-site inspections revealed traces near the boiler's water tank that suggested a gas leak had occurred. At the time of the incident, a gas detector was installed on that floor, but it was found not to have functioned properly, even though the carbon monoxide concentration exceeded 400 ppm.

The resort was found to operate only from Friday to Sunday, remaining closed on weekdays. Despite having as many as 109 rooms, it was confirmed that only one person was responsible for both operations and safety management, raising criticism about the adequacy of safety management at the facility.

A police official stated, "We are conducting a detailed inspection in cooperation with the National Forensic Service, and the exact cause of the accident is still under investigation."