Firefighter in Cardiac Arrest Remains in Critical Condition; Joint Investigation Set for Today

〈Anchor〉

A fire broke out at a metal printing factory in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, yesterday (October 16), injuring eight people, including firefighters and factory workers. Two firefighters who entered the factory first were seriously injured, and one of them remains in critical condition.

For our first report, here is reporter Kim Minjun.

〈Reporter〉

Bright red flames and thick black smoke continuously pour out of the windows.

The fire broke out at around 8:38 a.m. yesterday at a four-story metal printing factory in Naedong, Bucheon City, Gyeonggi Province.

This is the scene in front of the fire site.

As you can see, the ground is soaked with water used to extinguish the flames, and the third floor of the factory where the fire started is completely charred with glass windows shattered in various places.

[Han Seong-su / Bucheon City, Gyeonggi Province: (From the building on the left,) red flames started coming out of the window. Then, about 20 minutes later, the building on the right (caught fire.)]

Fire authorities issued a Level 2 response, mobilizing personnel from neighboring fire stations, and completely extinguished the flames after two and a half hours.

During this process, two factory workers and six firefighters were transported to hospitals due to smoke inhalation and exhaustion.

In particular, two firefighters were classified as severely injured, having been found in cardiac arrest and with impaired consciousness, respectively.

The firefighter who suffered impaired consciousness has regained consciousness at the hospital, but the firefighter in cardiac arrest is reportedly still dependent on mechanical ventilation.

The two were among the first crew members to enter the fire site. They reportedly entered the factory first and became trapped after failing to evacuate when the fire suddenly spread.

[Fellow firefighter (Yesterday morning): Are you alive?]

At the time of rescue, the two were about 5 meters apart, and it is reported they suffered serious injuries while working in pairs of two.

A preliminary investigation indicated that about 100 containers holding 20-liter Class 4 hazardous materials, specifically Class 2 petroleums, were stored inside the factory.

Police and fire authorities plan to investigate the exact cause of the fire through a joint inspection.

(Camera filming: Ju Yong-jin, Video editing: Ahn Yeo-jin)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.