Body found after firefighters declared 'no casualties' from greenhouse fire

Authorities are investigating potential shortcomings in search procedures after a 60-year-old man's body was found in a vinyl greenhouse fire site in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province. Firefighters had initially declared no casualties following their initial response.

The fire broke out on the night of June 27 in a greenhouse used for weekend farming. Firefighters extinguished the blaze within 40 minutes and conducted three separate searches, concluding that there were no victims. Police forensic teams also conducted an hour-long investigation into the cause of the fire before leaving the scene.

The situation changed the following afternoon when the man's daughter reported him missing. Police traced his phone signal and returned to the fire site. After a secondary search, they discovered the body inside a container, buried under belongings, approximately 17 hours after the fire was first put out.

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The body was badly burned and buried under a pile of belongings inside the container, so much so that DNA testing was required to identify it.

Investigators believe the man was sleeping or resting in the container when the fire started and was unable to escape, succumbing to toxic fumes. The National Forensic Service confirmed the cause of death as fire-related, with no indications of criminal activity.

Officials are examining whether any procedural violations or negligence occurred during the initial search operations. The investigation into the exact cause of the fire, suspected to be electrical, is ongoing.

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We are investigating whether there were any procedural violations or negligence during the on-site search for victims.