Safety Inspection at Coupang Logistics Center, "No Issues with Entry"... Search for Missing Firefighter Resumes

On the morning of the 19th, at the Coupang Deokpyeong Logistics Center fire site in Majang-myeon, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, experts including the Gyeonggi-do Safety Special Inspector, a structural architect from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and an official from the Korea Infrastructure Safety & Technology Corporation are entering the building with firefighters to conduct a structural safety inspection.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Search operations resumed on the 19th for the firefighter who went missing after entering the building during the fire suppression at the Coupang Deokpyeong Logistics Center located in Icheon-si, Gyeonggi Province.

At around 10:40 a.m. that day, the fire authorities deployed 15 rescue team members trained in life-saving operations into the logistics center building and are searching for Kim Dong-sik, the 119 Rescue Team Leader (52) from Gwangju Fire Station. This followed the building safety inspection conducted from 10:10 a.m., which concluded that "there is no problem even if the rescue team enters." The rescue operation is taking place on the second basement floor. The walking access distance from the building entrance is approximately 150 to 200 meters.

On the day of the fire, the 17th, at around 11:20 a.m., Chief Kim entered the second basement floor of the building with four colleagues for a life search operation but was unable to come out alone. Shortly after entering the site, a withdrawal radio order was issued, and Kim and his colleagues retreated along the entry path. Kim was at the rear, overseeing the escape situation and allowing his juniors to exit first. Thanks to Kim’s dedication, his colleagues safely exited the site, but Kim himself did not come out.

Later that day, around 5 p.m., about 20 personnel were deployed to search for Chief Kim, but the flames intensified and spread throughout the building, making precise search efforts difficult. The rescue operation was conducted 47 hours after Kim went missing.

The fire started at around 5:36 a.m. on the 17th in the second basement floor of a logistics center building with one building, four floors above ground, and a total floor area of 127,178.58㎡. The fire authorities issued a Level 2 response and controlled the major fire by 8:19 a.m., about 2 hours and 40 minutes later, but flames flared up again inside from around 11:50 a.m. The fire authorities have been continuing firefighting and suppression efforts since the major flames were controlled the previous afternoon.

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