Tragic Fires in Homes with Children Alone Prompt Emergency Inspections of Aging Public Housing

Flames are visible through the windows of a villa, and firefighters are seen spraying water while searching the interior.

Around 11:00 p.m. on July 8, a fire broke out at a three-story villa in Galhyeon-dong, Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, resulting in the deaths of a second-grade elementary school boy and his first-grade younger sister who were inside the home.

Their father, who is their guardian, was out at the time.

[Resident: I would greet them when they got out of the car with their father. The children were cheerful.]

Tragic accidents involving casualties in fires where children are left home alone are recurring.

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

Following the string of tragedies, Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-jung visited the site of the multi-unit housing fire in Galhyeon-dong, Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, to receive a report on the cause of the accident and the response situation, and to conduct an emergency inspection of fire safety measures.

Minister Yoon ordered a comprehensive re-examination of whether the "Measures to Prevent Recurrence of Child Deaths in Apartment Fires," announced jointly by the government in September of last year, are functioning properly in the field.

In particular, he ordered a thorough analysis of institutional shortcomings regarding the safety of aging multi-unit housing and the swift preparation of preventive measures.

[Yoon Ho-jung/Minister of the Interior and Safety: We should not just let this pass when such incidents occur; let us inspect everything so that no more children are sacrificed across the country.]

In relation to this, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety has decided to improve fire safety in aging multi-unit housing by distributing standalone smoke detectors.

The ministry also plans to launch emergency inspections regarding fire safety education for children and addressing gaps in nighttime childcare, and to announce supplementary measures as soon as possible.

(Video Editing: Park Ji-in | Video courtesy of: Ministry of the Interior and Safety | Produced by: SBS Digital News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.