Inspectors exit the basement of Hyundai Premium Outlet in Daejeon's Yuseong District, where a fire broke out Monday, after completing an inspection on Tuesday. Yonhap

Forensic, police investigations intensify after 7 workers died

By Ko Dong-hwan

Police and forensic inspectors on Thursday continued their investigation into a deadly mall fire earlier this week in Daejeon. They have been searching for evidence that the fatal incident could be a result of mismanagement of the mall's fire prevention systems. If that turns out to be the case, Hyundai Department Store Group, the mall's operator, will most likely face prosecution.

After a fire started at an unloading area in a basement level of Hyundai Premium Outlet in Daejeon's Yuseong District on Monday morning, Daejeon police inspected the accident site to identify the cause of the fire. The fire had been completely extinguished by Monday afternoon after about eight hours.

Investigators looked for clues to determine whether a smoke control system in the mall's basement level operated properly when the fire broke out. The system was technically supposed to ventilate smoke to the outside and protect anyone inside from suffocating. The investigators found that the installation of the smoke control system in the basement wasn't mandatory according to the mall's safety guidelines.

The authority also checked if the sprinklers were working properly and if the water tank connected to the sprinklers had been filled with enough water when the fire erupted.

On Wednesday, officials confirmed that the water tank, which is refilled automatically when the water level gets low, had enough water at the time of the fire. Some firefighters reported seeing some sprinklers not working properly during the fire. But several mall employees contradicted the reports, saying water had pooled on the basement floor, which they argued was caused by the sprinklers. The officials said they will examine the electronic logs connected to the operation of the sprinklers to see whether there are any records of the sprinkler system working properly at the time of the accident.

The investigators also checked security cameras that recorded footage of a 1-ton freight truck at an unloading area where the fire first started on Monday morning. The video showed that the fire had started near the truck shortly after the driver stepped out. They suspect that the truck's hot exhaust pipe may have set fire to paper boxes stacked nearby.

A fire-damaged truck is being loaded onto a truck on Wednesday to be taken to the National Forensic Service for a close-up examination to see whether the truck had anything to do with starting the fire on a basement unloading dock of Hyundai Premium Outlet in Daejeon on Monday. Yonhap

The National Forensic Service (NFS) took the truck, the exterior of which had been completely damaged by the fire, to investigate whether the vehicle had played a role in igniting the fire. Investigators at the scene said they discovered multiple electrical wires below the truck, which they plan to inspect for any links to the fire as well. The agency's investigation reportedly will take about two weeks.

Some 40 inspectors from the Daejeon police agency, the NFS, state-run Korea Electric Safety Corp. and the National Fire Agency inspected the scene for a second time for about five hours on Wednesday.

The mall hired a private agency last June to check the condition of its fire prevention systems and features. The agency, while not finding any problem with the smoke control system, found 24 problems with fire-detecting devices and lights directing the way to fire escape routes within the mall.

Employment and Labor Minister Lee Jung-sik visited the scene on Monday following the accident and questioned whether any violations of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act may have played a role in the deadly fire. The law, introduced last January, subjects the owners or executives of a business entity of 50 employees or more to imprisonment for at least one year, or fines as much as 1 billion won ($690,000), when employees are killed or injured due to a workplace safety accident.

The investigators have been looking for evidence that might reveal whether there are signs of the neglected management of the mall's safety features by its operator. If proven so, the mall faces prosecution under the law for its workers vulnerable to safety risks. The victims of Monday's fire ― seven dead and one injured ― are all employed by firms subcontracted by the mall.

If any violations are confirmed following further investigation, the case will become the first of its kind for the country's retail market industry.

Following the grim accident that inflicted fire damage on the nine-story shopping complex, which contains 280 shops, a 100-room hotel, a convention center and a theater, Hyundai Department Store Group Chairman Chung Ji-sun visited the site on Monday and bowed to the public as an apology. He said that he "feels a heavy sense of responsibility" for the accident and offered his condolences to the bereaved family members of the victims. He added that he will cooperate fully with the authorities investigating the accident.