Deadly Fire At Busan Hotel Construction Site Kills At Least Six
On February 14, at around 10:51 am, KST, a large fire at the Banyan Tree Hotel construction site in Busan broke out, claiming multiple lives and injuring others.
The hotel, located in the Gijang area of Busan, was engulfed in huge flames, and some of its exterior glass walls were seen exploding as the fire raged on. According to reports, at least six people have died in the incident, and 27 have been injured.
Busan Fire Headquarters issued a Level 1 response at around 11:10 am but by noon, raised the alert to Level 2, requesting most personnel from eight to fourteen nearby fire stations to respond. According to the National Fire Agency, 124 fire trucks, 352 firefighters, and three helicopters were dispatched to combat the fire.
The firefighters rescued the people trapped on the building’s 12th floor using helicopters. Six of them were found in a state of cardiac arrest and were pronounced dead at 1:44 pm. Twenty-five were injured minorly due to smoke inhalation. The firefighters rescued another 14 people who were trapped on the building’s roof.
The exact cause of the fire is yet to be discovered, but it is presumed that the insulating materials kept near the swimming pool on the building’s first floor might have contributed to it.
Though by 1:34 pm, the fire was mostly subdued, fire officials and local authorities still had to conduct search operations to determine the exact number of workers who were inside the building. General Director for Disaster and Safety Management Yi Han Kyung has requested th Busan Metropolitan Government to activate its disaster safety headquarters to provide assistance to the firefighters and other officials in the search and rescue efforts. The Ministry of Employment and Labor has also been directed to help oversee the investigation into what caused the incident.
