Large fire at Incheon machinery factory spreads to more than 30 adjacent buildings

[Anchor]

This morning (Oct. 20th), a large fire broke out at a machinery manufacturing factory in Incheon.

The flames spread rapidly due to strong winds, and fortunately, there were no casualties, but over 30 nearby factory buildings were burned.

Reporter Won Dong-hee has the details.

[Report]

Black smoke billows endlessly into the sky from the fire scene.

The dark red flames burn fiercely ready to consume the entire building.

The flames, scattered by the strong wind, quickly spread to adjacent buildings.

[Kim Mi-soon/Incheon Seo-gu: "The flames were just flying up into the sky. So they land on another factory, and the flames grow, causing a chain reaction..."]

Firefighters are continuously spraying water with hoses, and helicopters are busily dropping water, but it is not enough.

[Nam Sang-won/Witness: "The helicopters were continuously loading and dropping water. But the flames and smoke have not subsided for the past hour..."]

The fire at the machinery manufacturing factory started around 8:40 this morning.

The fire quickly spread to nearby buildings and grew larger, prompting the fire authorities to issue a 'Level 2 Response', which mobilizes personnel from adjacent fire stations, at around 11 AM.

It was not until 4 PM that the large flames were brought under control, and the response level was lifted.

This is the fire scene where the extinguishing operation has been completed.

The factory building has been completely burned down, leaving only its frame, and the flames that spread with the wind, have caused damage to nearby buildings as well.

In the aftermath of the fire, sandwich panels are bent like taffy, and the makeshift factory building made of tarps are covered in burnt holes.

Although there were no casualties from the fire, it caused property damage to over 30 nearby factory buildings.

[Jo Bo-hyung/119 Disaster Response Director, Geomdan Fire Station: "Pumps, water tanks, and vehicles from the Incheon area were all dispatched, but due to the wide range of the fire..."]

Fire authorities are investigating the cause of the fire, which is believed to have started in the factory office.

This is KBS News, Won Dong-hee.