Tower Fire Drill

[Anchor Lead]

When a fire breaks out at a high-rise, a major tragedy can result. A large-scale fire drill was conducted at the 123-story Lotte World Tower, which is to open in April. Let’s take a look.

[Pkg]

Smoke rises from a 123-story edifice. Firefighters begin to put out the flames upon their arrival, while a helicopter rescues the injured. The drill simulated a fire breaking out at a restaurant on the 107th floor of the building. Some three thousand people trapped inside began to evacuate. They take the stairs to one of the five evacuation safe zones in the building.

[Soundbite] "Please line up even if it's inconvenient for you."

Following the instructions of the staff, people head to 19 emergency elevators. Unlike other buildings, using elevators is a priority in case of a fire in this structure. These special elevators are fully protected from smoke and operate even when the central electricity supply is cut off. They take passengers to the ground floor in just one minute without stopping.

[Soundbite] Kim Jun-kil(Drill Participant) : "I thought it would be dangerous because there are few emergency exits. But it turned out to be quite safe because there are multiple elevators."

This is the first fire drill to be held in a high-rise edifice consisting of more than one hundred floors. The firefighting authority plans to improve on shortcomings based on the results of the drill.