KOR
▲ A firefighter breaks down in tears upon hearing the news of a fellow firefighter's serious injury after extinguishing a fire at a metal parts painting factory in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, on the 16th.
A firefighter deployed as part of the initial response team to put out a factory fire in Bucheon has died, bringing the number of firefighters who have died in the line of duty at fire scenes this year to four.
According to the National Fire Agency and other authorities, Firefighter Kim Jin-seok, who collapsed while fighting a fire at a metal injection printing factory in Ojeong-gu, Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, yesterday morning (October 16), ultimately passed away.
The deceased was deployed as part of the first response team to the third floor of the building where the fire was reported. While conducting firefighting operations, he was trapped by a sudden surge of flames. He was rescued in cardiac arrest and transferred to a nearby hospital for treatment, but passed away.
Including the late firefighter, four firefighters have died in the line of duty at fire scenes this year.
Late Inspector Sung Chi-in was severely injured while putting down a fire at an automobile inspection station in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on November 24 of last year. After receiving hospital treatment for over three months, he failed to recover and passed away on March 3 of this year.
On April 12 of this year, during a fire at a seafood processing plant in Wando-gun, Jeollanam-do, Inspector Park Seung-won and Senior Firefighter Noh Tae-young, who entered the burning freezer warehouse, died in the line of duty.
Expanding the scope to the past seven years, from October 2018 to December of last year, a total of 28 firefighters have been officially recognized as having died in the line of duty while performing dangerous tasks such as fire suppression and rescue.
By year, there were 6 in 2018, 3 in 2019, 8 in 2020, 4 in 2021, 3 in 2022, 1 in 2023, and 3 in 2024.
By type of duty, firefighters who died while suppressing fires accounted for the largest number at 12.
This was followed by 9 in rescue operations, 4 in public safety assistance, and 3 in other categories.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
