DistantNews
Support us
🇰🇷 South Korea /Crime & Justice

Police close Samlip Sihlwa factory fire probe, unable to determine cause

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Police have closed an investigation into a fire at the Samlip Sihlwa factory due to an inability to determine the cause.
  • A joint investigation by multiple agencies, including the National Forensic Service, found the fire's origin impossible to ascertain due to severe damage.
  • The fire, which occurred in February, injured three workers and led to the evacuation of 500 people.

Police have concluded their investigation into a fire that broke out at the Samlip Sihlwa factory in February, citing an "inability to determine the cause." The Siheung Police in Gyeonggi Province announced on the 10th that they have closed the preliminary investigation (naesa) into the incident.

Despite extensive joint investigations by relevant agencies, including the National Forensic Service, the fire scene was too severely damaged to identify the origin. The National Forensic Service reported on April 7th that "specific conclusions regarding the fire's cause are impossible due to severe combustion, deformation, collapse, and loss." The fire department also deemed the cause indeterminable. Investigations by the Korea Gas Safety Corporation and the Korea Electrical Safety Corporation suggested that gas or electrical factors were unlikely to be the cause.

Due to severe combustion, deformation, collapse, and loss, specific conclusions regarding the fire's cause are impossible.

— National Forensic ServiceThe National Forensic Service informed the police of their findings regarding the fire's cause.

Based on these analyses, police determined that pinpointing the fire's cause was not feasible and closed the case. This means no individuals can be held criminally responsible as a causal link could not be established. A police official stated, "There were no signs of arson from the beginning of the fire, and based on the forensic results, the possibility of accidental ignition also remains unconfirmed, leading to the closure of the preliminary investigation."

The fire started on February 3rd around 2:59 PM on the third floor of Building R (production building) at the Samlip Sihlwa factory in Siheung City. It took over eight hours to extinguish. The blaze resulted in three workers sustaining injuries from smoke inhalation and necessitated the evacuation of 500 people.

There were no signs of arson from the beginning of the fire, and based on the forensic results, the possibility of accidental ignition also remains unconfirmed, leading to the closure of the preliminary investigation.

— Police OfficialA police official explained the reasoning behind closing the investigation.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog