Caution advised against toxic smoke

[Anchor]

The black smoke rising from the burning tire materials is spreading to the surrounding apartments.

There are concerns about secondary damage from toxic gas, and we will hear from residents and safety precautions from meteorologist Kim Se-hyun.

[Report]

Black smoke has been billowing all day from the burning tire factory.

Today (May 17), the CCTV footage from the Donggwangsan tollgate, about 3 km away from the fire site, clearly shows the smoke spreading.

In the morning, the smoke column was relatively straight, but as the wind picked up in the afternoon, it descended and spread wider.

This can also be confirmed in the video sent to KBS.

This video was taken around 5 PM in Gwangju's Eoryong-dong.

The area is completely covered in black smoke.

Next is a video taken near Gwangju Songjeong Station.

The smoke is thick over the busy downtown area.

As you saw in the video, there are apartments and houses near the fire site, as well as Gwangju Songjeong Station.

Today, the wind was mainly blowing from the southwest, directing the smoke towards Sinheung-dong, but it is expected that the wind direction will change to northwest overnight.

If this happens, the smoke could also spread towards Songjeong 2-dong in the southeast.

Rubber is the main material of tires, and as it burns, the smoke may contain harmful substances.

Two years ago, during a fire at a tire factory in Daejeon, residents reported nausea and suffered from fallout damage.

The Gwangju Metropolitan City has sent a disaster text message stating that they are measuring the presence of harmful substances and advised caution for safety.

Nearby residents should keep their windows closed and refrain from going outside to avoid secondary damage.

If it is unavoidable to go outside, you must wear a mask of KF94 or higher.

This is Kim Se-hyun from the Disaster Media Center for KBS News.