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Ulleung Island factory fire sparks 'slow response' controversy
🇰🇷 South Korea /Disasters & Emergencies

Ulleung Island factory fire sparks 'slow response' controversy

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Under investigation
  • Residents on Ulleung Island claim fire trucks were significantly delayed in responding to a cosmetic factory fire on July 8th.
  • A resident reported making four emergency calls between 7:09 AM and 7:25 AM for a fire at a factory located just 1 kilometer from a fire station.
  • The fire destroyed five factory buildings, and the fire department is investigating the alleged delay in response.

An investigation is underway into allegations of delayed response by fire services following a blaze that destroyed five buildings at a cosmetic factory on South Korea's Ulleung Island. Residents claim that fire trucks took an unusually long time to reach the scene of the fire, which occurred on the morning of July 8th.

The factory is about 1 kilometer away from the Buk-myeon 119 Safety Center. It should only take 2 minutes by car, but I called 119 four times.

— Resident 'A'Describing the proximity of the factory to the fire station and the number of emergency calls made.

According to a local resident identified as 'A', the factory was located approximately one kilometer from the local 119 fire station in Buk-myeon. 'A' asserts that the distance, which should take about two minutes to cover by car, saw a response time of over 20 minutes after the initial emergency call.

It took more than 20 minutes for the fire truck to arrive after the first call to 119.

— Resident 'A'Alleging the significant delay in the fire department's response.

The resident's mobile phone records show four separate calls to the 119 emergency number, starting at 7:09 AM and continuing at 7:12 AM, 7:17 AM, and 7:25 AM. The resident alleges that the fire trucks did not arrive until 26 minutes after the first call, a delay they find inexplicable given the proximity to the fire station.

Firefighting is crucial in the initial stages, and I cannot understand why the response was delayed from the 119 Safety Center, which is less than 2 minutes away.

— Resident 'A'Expressing disbelief and seeking an explanation for the delayed response.

"Firefighting is crucial in the initial stages," the resident stated, expressing confusion over the extended response time. The resident has filed an information request with the fire department regarding the delayed dispatch. A fire department official acknowledged the information request and stated that an internal investigation is ongoing, promising a thorough review to address any lingering doubts.

This is a matter currently under internal investigation, so we cannot confirm specific details. We have received the information request regarding the damages. We will investigate thoroughly to leave no room for doubt.

— Fire Department OfficialResponding to the allegations of delayed response and confirming an ongoing investigation.
DistantNews Editorial

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

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