▲ Authorities inspect the fire scene following an accident suspected to be an explosion inside an apartment management office in Sadong, Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province, around 8:29 a.m. today.
"The sound of the bang was not just once. I heard four or five bangs in a row, and shortly after, people with fire on their bodies ran out."
Residents near the apartment management office in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province, recalled the moments of the explosion, suspected to be arson, on the morning of today (the 23rd).
Injured people suffering from burns screamed as they escaped from in front of the management office, while residents rushed over with water and blankets to help with first aid and manage the chaotic scene.
The peaceful apartment complex was instantly enveloped in fear and tension.
The conditions of the injured who emerged outside the management office right after the accident were gruesome.
Some of the injured, who suffered burns across their entire bodies, had their burnt clothes stuck to their bodies or melted by the heat, fusing with their skin.
A pair of scorched shoes left lying in front of the management office gave a sense of how urgent the situation was at the time.
A resident, Mr. A, who witnessed the situation back then, said, "A person presumed to be the culprit threw a foreign substance and darted out. Then he fell over with fire on his body. After that, people with fire on their bodies came rushing out while simultaneously a popping sound and flames were spewed."
Another resident, surnamed Park, said, "I parked my car and was sitting for a while around 8:25 a.m. when flames suddenly shot up from the management office side. The sound of something bursting kept echoing, not just once, and even while I was calling 119, the explosion sounds of 'bang' continued."
Park added, "People with fire on their bodies ran out of the management office all at once. There seemed to be about five or six of them, and their clothes were burning as they ran out screaming in such a hurry."
Right after the explosion, the scene turned into chaos mixed with screams pleading to save them and requests for rescue.
Another resident shared that they woke up startled by the sudden explosion sound and screams.
This resident said, "While I was sleeping, I heard a loud 'bang' and people shouting. When I looked outside, people were running out, so I knew something major had happened."
Even in moments of shock and panic, several residents reportedly actively engaged in putting out the fire.
Another resident explained, "I was at home when I heard shouts to save them, so I went out and saw someone collapsed unconscious on the floor. One injured person was conscious and shouting to be saved."
The resident continued, "Several residents brought fire extinguishers to put out the fire at the management office. My husband and I also went over with a fire extinguisher and a basin of water thinking we had to put out the fire first and save people."
It was reported that a meeting regarding apartment management regulations was underway inside the management office where the accident occurred.
Some of the injured reportedly escaped outside while holding printed materials in their hands that appeared to be A4-sized meeting documents.
Startled residents moved busily to help the injured.
Rescue workers from 119 who were dispatched upon receiving the report arrived at the scene in about 10 minutes to extinguish the fire and transfer the injured to a specialized burn hospital.
Police have controlled the area around the management office and are checking the circumstances of the accident.
The injured were identified as a total of 8 people, including 2 men and 6 women aged between 42 and 73.
They were investigated to be 2 management office employees, 1 resident, and 5 elderly people who were at the senior center attached to the management office.
Residents shared that elderly people usually tend to gather in large numbers at the apartment's senior center starting around 10 a.m.
Police are investigating the exact cause of the accident, including the possibility that an inflammable substance was used during the process of raising complaints at the management office.
A police official said, "A report stating that there was a dispute at the management office has been received, and we are investigating the exact details."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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