Hotel fire accident in Bucheon City, South Korea results in 7 deaths and 12 injuries

On August 22 local time, a serious fire broke out in a hotel in Bucheon City, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, resulting in 7 deaths and 12 injuries. On August 23, the Hankyoreh reported that due to the presence of seriously injured people among the injured, the death toll may further increase.

At around 7:39 pm on the 22nd, a fire broke out in Room 810 on the 8th floor of the hotel where the incident occurred. Cho Seon-ho, director general of the Gyeonggi Province Fire and Disaster Headquarters, said when Minister of Public Administration and Security Lee Sang-min visited the fire scene that the most likely cause of the fire is electrical factors such as leakage and sparks generated by air conditioners. Judging from the internal structure of the hotel, the corridor is narrow and heat is easy to accumulate, making it difficult for guests to escape.

On the day of the incident, the guest staying in this room had requested a room change on the grounds that there was a burnt smell in the room. A fire broke out on the way when the hotel staff went upstairs to check the situation. Based on the statement of the guest "smelling a burnt smell", the fire department speculates that the fire was caused by electrical factors. At the same time, the door of Room 810 was not properly closed at the time of the incident, causing the fire smoke to spread rapidly.

It is reported that the hotel where the incident occurred was completed in 2004 and has 9 floors. There were 27 people staying in the hotel when the fire broke out. Although the fire did not spread to the entire hotel, due to the rapid spread of toxic gases inside and the absence of sprinklers in the guest rooms, relatively large casualties were caused.

On August 23, the South Korean police and fire departments jointly inspected the fire scene of the hotel. On the same day, the Gyeonggi Nambu Police Agency instructed the investigation headquarters (task force) to fully find out the cause of the fire and give an explanation to the families of the victims and the public. This fire has attracted widespread attention from South Korean society and also sounded an alarm for fire safety in places such as hotels.