Father dies saving daughter from fire

A father leaped down with his 6-year-old daughter in his arms from a 10-story apartment where a fire broke out to save his daughter but died himself.

As a fire of unknown origin broke out at a study at his Hyundai Rainbow apartment in Jurye-dong, Sasang-gu, Pusan, around 12:44 a.m. Sunday, Cho Hee-Kwon, a 46-year-old owner of a fishing store, jumped with his daughter, Hyun-Jee, in his arms to a flower bed, about 30 meters down from the 10th floor.

Hyun-Jee was slightly injured as she was in her father¡¯s arms, but Cho died one hour after being treated at a hospital due to severe internal chest injuries from the fall.

Hong Mi-Sook, Cho¡¯s 43-year-old wife, who also was at home at the moment, saved her life by going down a gas pipe beside the veranda, and her 16-year-old son, Hyun-Suk, was not at home.

Hong was trying to put out the fire with cushions and bedclothes with her husband, who was sleeping on a sofa, but failed, Hong said.

¡°As the fire spread toward the front door rapidly, I called 1-1-9, and escaped with my daughter,¡± she said.

She said that her husband leaped down with her daughter in his arms first after giving up the effort to put out the fire.

¡°I also considered leaping down, but I was scared and went down riding the pipe after hanging on the veranda,¡± she said.

The police launched an investigation to find the cause of the fire, with top suspicions that the fire broke out due to a cigarette or electric short circuit.

The fire was extinguished in 30 minutes after burning the inner part of the 42-pyong house and furnishings in it, causing 20 million won worth of property damage based on the police estimate.

Seok Dong-Bin mobidic@donga.com