"Their Birthday Was This Month..." Elementary School Siblings Die in Late-Night Fire

[Anchor]

A fire broke out at a villa in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, last night (July 8), claiming the lives of two elementary school siblings. The children were home alone when the incident occurred.

Reporter Kim Gyu-ri has the story.

[Reporter]

The interior of the home is glowing bright red through the windows.

Fire trucks arrive one after another through the narrow alleyway.

Firefighters, carrying hoses, enter the building and conduct a search while spraying water.

The fire broke out around 11:00 p.m. last night at a three-story villa in Galhyeon-dong, Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul.

The fire, which started on the third floor, spread in an instant, and the windows, shattered by the heat, are scattered on the ground.

[Resident: It turned red, and then black smoke started rising. I thought a gas tank had exploded. At first, I heard a loud bang.]

The elementary school siblings—a second-grade brother and a first-grade sister—who were inside the home at the time of the fire, were killed.

[Resident: They would greet me when they got out of their father's car. They were such cheerful children.]

It was determined that their father, their guardian, was out at the time. Tragic accidents involving casualties continue to occur when children are left home alone during a fire.

In July of last year, two sisters, aged 8 and 6, died in an apartment fire in Gijang-gun, Busan, and in June of the same year, two sisters, aged 10 and 7, lost their lives in an apartment fire in Busanjin-gu, Busan.

The grandfather of the siblings who died last night told the SBS reporting team, "It is even more devastating because it was their birthday this month," adding, "I hope people will grieve with us."

Two neighbors also received hospital treatment after inhaling smoke from the fire.

Police and fire authorities believe the fire started in the living room due to electrical causes and are investigating the exact cause based on the results of a joint inspection conducted today (July 9).

(Video coverage: Yang Ji-hoon, Video editing: Kim Ho-jin, Design: Lee Jong-jung, Footage courtesy of: Seoul Eunpyeong Fire Station)

Reported by Kim Gyu-ri | Video by Yang Ji-hoon | Video editing by Kim Ho-jin | Graphics by Lee Jong-jung | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.