Elementary School Siblings Die in Apartment Fire While Father Was Out

Two elementary school students have died following a fire at a villa in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul.

According to fire authorities on July 9, the blaze broke out at 10:57 p.m. the previous night on the third floor of a four-story villa (three floors above ground, one basement level) in Galhyeon-dong, Eunpyeong-gu.

The two children, a brother and sister, were transported to a hospital but ultimately passed away.

They were reportedly in the second and first grades of elementary school, respectively.

It was determined that their father, who is their guardian, had stepped out before the fire occurred.

In addition, two other residents suffered from smoke inhalation, and nine others evacuated on their own.

Fire authorities, who were dispatched following reports from neighbors who heard an explosion, mobilized 82 personnel and 23 vehicles to fully extinguish the fire at 11:47 p.m., approximately 50 minutes after it began.

A neighbor who had stepped out to take out the trash and witnessed the fire said, "I saw lights flickering inside the home, then there was a loud bang, and the fire erupted, causing the window to fall to the ground." The witness added, "I immediately told my son, who was inside our home, to get out quickly and report it."

Another resident also stated, "I saw a grandmother and her grandchild living next door (to the fire) crying for help."

Neighbors gathered at the scene expressed their deep sorrow, saying, "One can only imagine how the parents must feel."

Tragedies involving children left home alone who perish in fires while their guardians are away have occurred repeatedly in the past.

In July of last year, a fire at an apartment in Gijang-gun, Busan, claimed the lives of two sisters—a third-grader and a kindergartner—while their parents were out. In 2023, a 5-year-old child also died in a fire in Ulsan while their father was away.

The police plan to conduct a forensic examination of the scene to investigate the exact cause of the fire.

(Photo: Provided by Seoul Eunpyeong Fire Station, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.