Fire Breaks Out on the 14th Floor of a 20-Story Apartment

At around 8:10 AM on the 17th, a fire broke out in a 20-story apartment building in Changjeon-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, resulting in two fatalities and 13 injuries.

The fire started in one unit on the 14th floor. Upon receiving reports of "black smoke," the fire department declared a Level 1 response and deployed 79 vehicles and 252 personnel, successfully extinguishing the fire by 10:42 AM.

Mother and Son Found Dead… Residents Evacuated

The deceased are a man in his 20s and his mother in her 60s. The son was found dead at the scene, while the mother was transported to the hospital after CPR, but ultimately passed away.

Among the 13 injured, 12 sustained minor injuries and 1 suffered serious injuries. A total of 89 residents who were living in the apartment at the time were evacuated.

A resident from the unit above, Mr. Shin (70), reported, "There was a loud 'bang' and then fire and smoke came from the outdoor unit. The heat prevented the door lock from opening, and my daughter and grandchild were trapped inside for over an hour."

According to neighbors, the father of the deceased family managed to evacuate on his own but reportedly searched around for "our son, have you seen him?" immediately after.

Some residents mentioned that the son was a student at a nearby prestigious university, although this has not been confirmed.

Lack of Sprinklers May Have Increased Damage

The fire department disclosed that there were no sprinklers installed on the 14th floor where the fire occurred.

This apartment complex was completed in 1998, and at that time, regulations required sprinklers to be installed only on floors above the 16th floor in buildings of 16 stories or more. This has led to criticisms that the lack of sprinklers contributed to the severity of the fire damage.

Authorities are currently investigating the exact cause of the fire and the extent of the damage, and the Mapo District Office is discussing temporary housing support measures for the evacuated residents.

Image source: News1