Lead

Firefighters in Incheon, South Korea, continued efforts Sunday night to contain a large blaze at a logistics center operated by retail giant Coupang Corp., with the fire remaining active more than 37 hours after it broke out, according to Yonhap News.

The fire started on the sixth floor of the facility at 6:54 a.m. Saturday and remained uncontained as of 8 p.m. Sunday, the Incheon Fire Headquarters said. The blaze prompted the evacuation of 121 people inside the facility, including logistics workers.

Authorities issued a national firefighting mobilization order, bringing in personnel and equipment from eight neighboring cities and provinces. A total of 228 vehicles and 721 firefighters and police officers have been deployed to the scene, Yonhap reported.

Coverage Comparison

All reporting on this story comes from Yonhap News, which published multiple updates over the course of the day. The dispatches agree on the core details: the fire's origin on the sixth floor, the evacuation of 121 people, the national mobilization order, and the challenges posed by thick smoke and flammable materials stored inside the warehouse.

One Yonhap update, filed more than 31 hours after the fire began, reported that 221 vehicles and 575 firefighters and police officers had been deployed. Later updates, filed after 35 and 37 hours, revised that figure to 228 vehicles and 721 personnel. The later count is consistent across subsequent dispatches.

Later updates also added details not present in the initial report: demolition work using excavators to vent smoke and create openings for water, an evacuation order for nearby residents over concerns the fire-damaged structure could collapse, and Coupang's public apology and pledge of cooperation with authorities.

Key Claims

  • The fire broke out on the sixth floor of a Coupang logistics center in Incheon at 6:54 a.m. Saturday, as reported by Yonhap.
  • 121 people inside the facility, including logistics workers, were evacuated.
  • A national firefighting mobilization order was issued, drawing resources from eight neighboring cities and provinces.
  • Firefighting efforts were hampered by poor visibility from thick smoke and large quantities of flammable objects stored inside the center.
  • Two firefighters were hospitalized after inhaling smoke and suffering exhaustion on Saturday.
  • Authorities deployed two excavators and 18 firefighters to carry out demolition work on the truck ramp to vent smoke and create openings for water, according to later Yonhap reports.
  • An evacuation order was issued for nearby residents, effective from 11 p.m. Sunday, covering areas within a 116-meter radius of the loading ramp, as reported by Yonhap.
  • Coupang issued a public apology and pledged cooperation with authorities, according to one update.
  • Fire authorities plan to investigate the exact cause of the fire once the blaze is extinguished.

Perspectives

Fire authorities: The Incheon Fire Headquarters has been directing the response, including the demolition work and the evacuation order, and has stated that the fire remained uncontained as of Sunday evening.

Coupang Corp.: The company issued a public apology for the fire and pledged cooperation with authorities, according to a Yonhap report.

Nearby residents: Residents living within a 116-meter radius of the loading ramp were ordered to evacuate over concerns the fire-damaged center could collapse.

Firefighters on the scene: Firefighters reported that thick smoke and flammable materials hampered their efforts, and two of their colleagues were hospitalized for smoke inhalation and exhaustion.