Firefighters battle Coupang warehouse blaze for 3rd day amid collapse fears

Firefighters continued to battle a massive blaze at a Coupang warehouse Monday as flames that broke out more than 47 hours earlier continued to rage and force residents to evacuate amid concerns of a potential collapse of the building.

The fire that started early Saturday morning remained uncontained as of 6:00 a.m., as the complex building structure and vast amounts of flammable material stored inside the logistics center in Incheon hampered firefighting efforts, according to the Incheon firefighting headquarters.

Authorities have deployed 813 firefighters and 231 pieces of equipment to battle the blaze under a national mobilization order issued Saturday.

Hundreds of residents have taken shelter at nearby schools after the local government issued an evacuation order late Sunday for areas within 116 meters (380.5 feet) of the warehouse's ramp zone.

Local authorities advised daycare centers and elementary schools in the area to close for the day.

A fire authority said the rain falling at the site was expected to offer little help in dousing the flames as the water can barely reach the building's interior.

"We are carrying out the operation while assessing on-site safety from multiple angles," the official said.

Yonhap