SEOUL: A fire at a cold storage facility in South Korea’s southern county of Wando killed two firefighters who became trapped as flames spread rapidly inside the building, authorities said.
The blaze was reported at about 8.25am on Saturday (April 11) at a seafood processing company’s warehouse in Gunoe-myeon, Wando County, South Jeolla Province, prompting a large-scale response.
Fire crews arrived at the scene at 8.31am and raised the response level to Stage 1 at around 9am.
Two firefighters who entered the structure went missing at about 9.02am as conditions inside deteriorated, with thick black smoke reported during operations.
Authorities located one of the missing responders, a 44-year-old fire lieutenant from the Wando Fire Station, at 10.02am, but he was found dead.
A second firefighter, a 31-year-old from a local unit under the Haenam Fire Station, was recovered dead at 11.23am.
One civilian worker at the site was transported to a hospital after inhaling smoke but was not in life-threatening condition.
Firefighters deployed 115 personnel and 39 pieces of equipment, bringing the blaze under control by 11.26am.
Authorities said the fire is believed to have started during torch work to remove paint inside the refrigerated warehouse.
Police and fire officials plan to investigate the exact cause of the blaze and the circumstances surrounding the firefighters’ deaths.
Earlier, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok ordered all relevant agencies to deploy “all available personnel and equipment” to rescue the trapped responders and prevent further casualties, including through strict site control and evacuation measures. - The Korea Herald/ANN
