Busan, Feb 16
Authorities on Sunday began a joint on-site investigation into a fire at a hotel construction site in the southeastern port city of Busan that killed six workers and injured 27 others.
The fire at the Banyan Tree hotel under construction started on Friday morning, presumably from insulating material loaded near a swimming pool on the first floor of one of the three buildings on the site, according to authorities.
Officials said the joint probe is expected to focus on figuring out the reason that the six victims on the first floor died, reports Yonhap news agency.
The officials were also expected to seek to confirm the possibility the blaze may have been caused after inflammable materials caught fire during welding work.
Construction for the luxury resort hotel began in April 2022, and its opening was scheduled for the first half of this year.
In the wake of the fire at the hotel construction site in Busan, the labour ministry ordered safety checks at some 1,000 construction sites.
The ministry said it will conduct on-site inspections into such building sites where the last stages of construction involving insulation materials are under way.
The deceased were found at the location where the fire broke out, and it's presumed they weren't able to escape because there was a lot of flammable material near the exit.
Firefighters rescued those trapped inside using helicopters, but six were later pronounced dead. Fourteen others were safely rescued from the roof, while more than a hundred workers were evacuated.
Earlier, authorities raised the fire response level to Level 2 of the three-tier system amid concerns over rising casualties. Hundreds of workers were reportedly near the site when the fire broke out.
South Korean Acting President Choi Sang-mok ordered the mobilisation of all available personnel and equipment to assist in the rescue efforts.
- IANS