Incheon Coupang Logistics Center Fire Prompts Evacuation Due to Collapse Risk

An evacuation order has been issued for residents near a Coupang logistics center in Incheon, South Korea, as a fire continues to rage for a second day, posing a risk of building collapse.

Local authorities sent out an emergency alert late on July 19, ordering people in surrounding shops and offices within a 116-meter radius to evacuate immediately due to the "risk of partial building collapse" from the Coupang fire. A subsequent clarification specified that the evacuation applied only to commercial areas south of the logistics center, excluding residential zones.

The fire started around 6:54 a.m. on July 18 on the sixth floor of the Coupang 32 logistics center in Seoknam-dong, Seo-gu. The facility, covering an area equivalent to 42 football fields, houses flammable household goods stacked on multi-tiered shelves, intensifying the blaze and making firefighter access difficult.

Firefighters are working to contain the fire, which has been complicated by the building's structure, wind, and the abundance of combustible materials. Since the afternoon of July 19, excavators have been used to break through the outer wall, creating openings for smoke ventilation and water application. While 121 employees working at the time of the fire evacuated safely, two firefighters were hospitalized for smoke inhalation and exhaustion.