"Thought the Sun Had Risen"... Pyeongtaek Logistics Center Engulfed in Flames Overnight

"At dawn, the whole village was as bright as if the sun had risen."

Recalling the situation overnight, an 80-year-old resident surnamed Gu near the scene of the fire at the Pyeongtaek Center 1 of PJK in Tojin-ri, Cheongbuk-eup, Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, shared these remarks at around 6:30 a.m. today (August 11).

Gu said, "The flames have subsided a lot now, but at dawn when the fire first started, it was so massive that the surroundings were as bright as broad daylight," adding, "Because of this, all the villagers came out to watch the firefighting process."

About seven hours after the fire broke out, black smoke was still billowing into the sky at the scene, filling the air with a acrid odor.

Even while wearing a mask, it was enough to make one's throat scratchy and eyes sting within ten minutes, forcing people to take refuge indoors.

Just how massive the scale of the fire was could be guessed even from places far away from the scene.

Earlier at 5:50 a.m., thick black smoke resembling dark storm clouds could be seen from the Oeyeon IC on the Pyeongtaek-Hwaseong Expressway, located about 5 km away from the PJK Pyeongtaek Center 1.

A burning smell could be detected even with the car windows closed, and the odor grew stronger the closer one got to the scene.

Fire trucks, including pumper trucks, were spotted one after another on the surrounding roads.

Not only vehicles belonging to the Gyeonggi Provincial Disaster and Fire Headquarters, but also fire trucks from other regions, including Sejong City, were lined up and rushing to the scene.

Tojin-ri, where the PJK Pyeongtaek Center 1 is located, is an area densely packed with factories as well as other logistics centers.

Large trailers carrying containers and cargo trucks transporting various materials moved back and forth on the roads, and warehouse buildings lined both sides of the road densely.

At the scene, while the fire authorities were in the middle of suppressing the fire, police officers appeared busy controlling the surrounding area.

Due to overnight firefighting operations, the fierce flames had subsided somewhat, but they had not completely died down.

Due to police control, vehicles could only approach up to a point about 500 meters away from the road leading to the scene and the detour route, and entry beyond that was not permitted.

During this process, minor altercations broke out between company employees and villagers trying to enter factories and residences within the controlled zone, and police officers who blocked access for safety reasons.

A police official at the scene explained, "Residents within the controlled zone have already completed evacuation during the early morning hours, and access control has been in effect since 2:00 a.m. today."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.