"Huge piles of belongings on the stairs"... Songpa arson: Trash heaps blocked the escape route

Songpa Multi-Family Home Arson Case... Woman in Her 30s Arrested
Items Piled on Stairs Leave Only 50 cm for Evacuation
Fire Authorities: "Could Violate the Act on Fire Prevention and Safety Control of Establishments"

"There are piles of belongings on the stairs leading from the fifth to the seventh floor."

Inside a multi-family home in Munjeong-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, where a fire broke out at around 12:37 a.m. on the 18th. Items are piled on the stairs leading to the rooftop. Photo by Park Jaehyun.

The multi-family home in Munjeong-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, was burned in an arson attack by a woman in her 30s early on Oct. 18. The following day, resident B, whom we met there, said this as he stared at the burned-out cars for a long time. He lived on the fourth floor with his wife and looked deeply worried after the sudden fire. B was moving bottled water, clothing and other necessities into a car with his son.

According to eyewitness accounts, residents had difficulty making their way to the rooftop to escape the flames because belongings had been piled on the stairs.

Some residents trapped by the sudden fire in the early morning had to use the stairs to flee to the rooftop, but they nearly tripped over the items piled there. Resident C said, "I tried to go down to the first floor, but it was engulfed in flames, so I couldn't get out and headed for the rooftop. I injured my foot when I hit the belongings piled on the stairs on the way up."

The rooftop of a multi-family home in Munjeong-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, where a fire broke out at around 12:37 a.m. on the 18th. Some residents evacuated to the area during the fire, but it was piled high with miscellaneous items, leaving barely any room to stand. Photo by Park Jaehyun

A visit to the scene confirmed that cardboard boxes, bags and other items were piled densely in the stairwell connecting the fifth and seventh floors. There was only about 50 centimeters of space to pass on each step. The rooftop, where some residents took refuge during the fire, was so cluttered with miscellaneous items that there was barely any room to stand.

Residents said A had frequently clashed with her mother, the building owner, over the piled-up belongings. Another resident said, "I saw them arguing, with the daughter trying to persuade her mother, the building owner, to clear the items away, saying, 'Please stop piling things up.'"

There were also accounts that the fire authorities had previously warned the owner to remove the items, but the trash remained there. A nearby shopkeeper said, "I understand that the fire department told them to clear the items away in the past, but nothing changed afterward. People nearby can only speculate that this may have been the cause."

Residents who lost their homes in the fire are staying in temporary accommodations with only a few essential belongings. One resident who had lived in the building sighed and said, "Support for fire victims is provided for only two days, so I'll stay at a nearby lodging facility for the time being and then go to my son's home."

Article 16 of the Act on Fire Prevention and Safety Control of Fire-Fighting Systems prohibits leaving objects or installing obstacles around evacuation facilities, fire compartments or fire-protection facilities in the event of a fire. Violators may face a fine of up to 3 million won. A fire department official said, "The circumstances at the scene need to be assessed as a whole, but leaving items piled up as described above could constitute a violation of the Act on Fire Prevention and Safety Control of Fire-Fighting Systems."

In front of a multi-family home in Munjeong-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 19th. A fire broke out in the ground-floor piloti parking area at around 12:37 a.m. the previous day. Eight residents were taken to the hospital, and 20 evacuated on their own. Photo by Park Jaehyun

Meanwhile, the Songpa Police Station in Seoul sought an arrest warrant for A on suspicion of arson of an occupied building. According to police, A is suspected of starting a fire in the parking area on the first floor of the multi-family home in Munjeong-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, at around 12:37 a.m. on Oct. 18. Eight residents were taken to a nearby hospital after inhaling smoke, and three vehicles were completely destroyed. Twenty residents evacuated on their own.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.