Police Book Factory Head Over Bucheon Fire That Killed Firefighter... Investigation Underway

Police have booked the head of a factory in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, where a fire resulted in the death of one firefighter and injuries to seven others.

The dedicated investigation team for the Bucheon paint factory fire at the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency has booked the factory head, identified as a person in their 70s surnamed A, on charges of professional negligence resulting in injury and professional negligence by fire.

A is suspected of neglecting fire prevention measures at the metal injection printing factory located in Naedong, Ojeong-gu, Bucheon, where the fire broke out on October 16.

On October 17, the day after the fire, police questioned five factory officials, including A and employees, as reference witnesses to check the working conditions and safety management practices at the time of the accident.

Concluding that there was negligence related to the outbreak of the fire, police subsequently booked A.

Police plan to investigate A regarding the specific details of how the fire started and whether safety management regulations were followed, while also continuing investigations into other individuals involved.

The number of booked suspects could increase depending on the investigation results.

Authorities also plan to verify the circumstances surrounding the death of the firefighter who became isolated and died during the firefighting operations.

In connection with this, the Fire Headquarters of the Korean Government Employees' Union, affiliated with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, issued a statement on the day of the fire urging a thorough investigation into the decision-making process for firefighters entering the building and the appropriateness of on-site command.

Previously, at around 8:38 AM on October 16, a fire broke out at a metal injection printing factory in Naedong, Ojeong-gu, Bucheon, resulting in the death of a firefighter in his 40s deployed for firefighting operations, while five other firefighters and two factory workers were injured.

During a joint inspection conducted the following day, the possibility was raised that the fire started when a spark, potentially caused by static electricity, ignited petroleum vapor generated during cleaning work using paint thinner on the third floor of the factory.

At the time, despite the fire hazard posed by the petroleum vapor, explosion-proof facilities were not installed, and dozens of containers filled with flammable substances such as thinner and paint were discovered near the ignition point.

The possibility that these flammable materials influenced the spread of the flames is also under investigation.

(Photo provided by Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.