Kumho Tire fire out after 77 hours

[Anchor]

The fire at the Kumho Tire factory in Gwangju has finally been extinguished today (May 20) after 77 hours.

Amid numerous reports of damage from local residents due to heavy smoke and dust, there are also criticisms that Kumho Tire is responding passively to the inconveniences faced by citizens.

Reporter Son Min-joo has the details.

[Report]

Only the charred skeleton of the factory building remains.

About half of the factory, which is the size of 1.5 soccer fields, has turned to ashes.

The fire was reignited from tire materials, and it took 77 hours to completely extinguish it.

[Kim Kwan-ho/Chief of Gwangju Gwangsan Fire Station: "We have 100% contained all flames."]

To prevent re-ignition, some parts of the heated building will be demolished.

Even during the dismantling of the building, smoke and dust filled the surrounding area, causing haze.

The fire authorities expect that smoke and odors will continue for about three to four days.

Reports of damage from nearby residents complaining of headaches and vomiting have exceeded 2,000 within two days of receiving complaints.

[Park Mak-nae/Resident of nearby apartment: "The smell is so bad. It's really giving us a headache in our apartment..."]

The Gwangju Gwangsan District Office issued a statement criticizing Kumho Tire for its passive response to the residents' damages.

The district office urged Kumho Tire to clarify its damage compensation plan and implement it promptly, as well as to support operational personnel for evacuation facilities.

The police and fire authorities plan to begin an investigation into the cause of the fire, targeting the rubber baking machine where the fire is presumed to have started, as soon as the building demolition work is completed.

This is KBS News, Son Min-joo.