Coupang Logistics Center Fire Continues for 30 Hours... "Primary Extinguishment Expected by 11 PM"

[Anchor]

The fire that broke out at the Coupang logistics center in Incheon early yesterday (July 18) has yet to be brought under control. Firefighting efforts are facing difficulties as the affected floors are filled with highly flammable items, including household goods. Fire authorities estimate that the main blaze will be extinguished by 11 PM tonight.

Reporter Dong Eunyeong has the story.

[Reporter]

Black smoke billows out of the building as firefighters continuously spray water at the scene.

The fire, which started at the Incheon Coupang logistics center at 6:54 AM yesterday, has been burning for over 30 hours.

[Kim Young-hwan/Nearby Resident: The smoke was so thick that the sky in that area turned black... It was difficult to breathe.]

The fire, which began on the 6th floor, spread to the 7th floor along the exterior wall. The floors contain flammable items such as household goods, making firefighting operations difficult.

[Jeon Jae-in/Disaster Response Division Chief, Incheon Seobu Fire Station: The logistics center where the fire occurred is a large warehouse with a 3-tier rack structure. Due to the large amount of combustible materials and high-temperature dense smoke, there are extreme difficulties in securing visibility inside and allowing firefighters to enter.]

The fire authorities, who issued a national firefighting mobilization order nine hours after the fire started, are focusing on preventing the flames from spreading to other floors.

Early this morning, an order was briefly issued for all firefighters to withdraw.

Operations resumed after analysis suggested that the risk of building collapse is low due to the structural characteristics of the logistics center.

All 121 employees who were inside the building at the time of the fire evacuated safely, resulting in no casualties. However, two firefighters were transported to the hospital for smoke inhalation and exhaustion during the firefighting process.

Fire authorities predict that they will be able to bring the main fire under control by around 11 PM.

(Video reporting: Choi Dae-woong, Video editing: Lee Sang-min)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.