[Editorial] Too Heavy Toll from One-Man Arson Attack

It was a disaster absurdly caused by a man who is ill mentally as well as physically. The death toll from a plastic cartoon of inflammable substance was too heavy to blame one sick man, however. It reminds the fatal attack carried out by members of a religious cult that happened in a Tokyo subway station in 1995, in which 12 people were killed and some 5,500 seriously injured after inhaling poisonous gas. This time in Daegu, however, it was neither poisonous gas nor a bomb. It was a fire set by inflammable substance and still the number of the dead is well above that in Tokyo in 1995.

It was somehow relieving that the fire broke out after rush hour. It was horrifying to imagine what it would be like if the fire had happened during rush hour. That even makes people scared to get in the subway train. Rescue operations were hampered for three hours after the fire initially broke out, because of poisonous gas and think smoke billowing out of the station. As a result, the death toll soared. Would the same have happened if the subway station had been properly equipped with ventilation and emergency systems?

The collapse of Sungsu Bridge and Sampoong Department Store were a result of poor construction of hardware parts in the society, which was condoned under the name of rapid economic growth in early years. The fire in Daegu Subway Station revealed the flawed software system of public safety management. The country now has technology to build strong and enduring buildings and facilities, but is still underdeveloped in terms of software related to rescue operations.

We still remember that the government was making a fuss about a possible poison attack after the Tokyo subway accident, by preparing antidotes and forming biochemical units. This country still has its propensity of getting hot faster and then cooling down faster, what people call a pot character, and forgets whatever happened so easily. This is why disasters take place repeatedly. The fire in Daegu exposed the nation`s vulnerability to the outside world, where terrorist attacks targeting civilians continue to threaten people. We just feel so sad and frustrated seeing the rising tall from an accidental disaster.