[Anchor]

The major blaze at the Coupang logistics center in Incheon was brought under control yesterday evening (July 20). Fire authorities are currently working to extinguish remaining embers, and the evacuation order for residents has been lifted.

Reporter Park Hyeon-seok has the story.

[Reporter]

The fire at the Coupang logistics center in Seoknam-dong, Incheon, which began around 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 18, was brought under control around 8:00 p.m. yesterday, 61 hours after it started.

Although thick smoke is still emanating from the scene, fire authorities have declared the initial containment of the fire and have begun the process of extinguishing remaining embers.

Fire authorities stated that it is expected to take a considerable amount of time to fully extinguish the fire, and they will maintain the national firefighting mobilization system.

The evacuation order issued for residents within a 116-meter radius of the fire site was also lifted as of 11:00 p.m. last night.

This decision was made as the risk of building collapse has decreased now that the major fire has been brought under control.

While there were no residential areas subject to the evacuation order, approximately 200 residents who were concerned about potential damage from smoke or dust had previously sought shelter at a nearby elementary school.

With the evacuation order lifted, residents are expected to return home while monitoring the fire authorities' guidance and the progress of the firefighting efforts.

Taking 61 hours just to reach the initial containment stage, this incident has been identified as the logistics center fire that has taken the longest time to bring under control in South Korea.

The long duration required to control the flames was largely due to the building's structure.

The so-called mezzanine structure, where a single floor is divided into two or three levels to stack more goods, made it difficult for firefighting water to reach the flames and hindered the entry of firefighters.

Once the fire is completely extinguished, the police and fire authorities plan to conduct a joint inspection with relevant agencies, including the National Forensic Service, to investigate the cause of the fire and determine accountability.

(Video reporting: Yang Ji-hoon, Video editing: Lee So-young)