At 12:02 a.m. on August 13, 2025, a fire broke out in the underground parking lot of a multi-family residence in Jegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, resulting in one death and 14 injuries.
According to the Dongdaemun Fire Station, a man in his 70s and a woman in her 20s were transported to the hospital in cardiac arrest. The man ultimately passed away. Six people suffered serious injuries, including full-body burns, while eight others are receiving treatment for smoke inhalation and other injuries.
The fire authorities deployed 32 pieces of equipment and 152 personnel, and completely extinguished the fire at around 12:48 a.m.
The fire department believes that the damage was exacerbated because the parking lot was built with a piloti structure (supported only by columns with no walls, leaving the area open), which allowed the fire to spread rapidly and made evacuation difficult.
The ceiling was covered with polycarbonate (PC), a material vulnerable to heat, which caused the flames to spread quickly. It was also found that there were no sprinklers installed in the parking lot where the fire started.
The police and fire authorities believe the fire started in a cart loaded with waste paper and are investigating the exact cause of the fire.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
