Coupang logistics center blaze nearly extinguished

Firefighters began operations Tuesday to extinguish remaining embers and fully put out the blaze at a Coupang logistics center in Incheon, where a massive fire burned for 61 hours.

Firefighters brought the main flames at Coupang’s Logistics Center No. 32 in Seohae District, Incheon, under control at around 8 p.m. Monday, and declared the initial firefighting phase complete. As embers remain inside the building, authorities plan to continue firefighting operations while maintaining the national firefighting mobilization order until the fire is completely extinguished.

A total of 239 firefighting equipment and 845 firefighters had been deployed for the firefighting efforts as of Tuesday.

As the main flames were brought under control, an evacuation order for residents within a 116-meter (380-foot) radius of the fire site was lifted as of 11 p.m. Monday. Although there were nearby residential areas that were excluded from the evacuation zone, 202 residents from the areas voluntarily went to shelters due to concerns over smoke and dust exposure.

Officials said concerns about a possible building collapse have largely eased.

Firefighters plan to investigate the cause of the fire and the extent of the damage after completing operations to clear the remaining embers.

The fire began at around 6:54 a.m. on Saturday on the sixth floor of Coupang Logistics Center No. 32. Firefighters struggled to contain the blaze due to the large amount of combustible materials stored inside the facility and its complex structure.

Shortly after the fire broke out, 121 people, including logistics center employees, evacuated on their own. Two firefighters received treatment at a hospital for smoke inhalation and exhaustion.

BY KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]