Fire at Immigrant Center Kills Nine

A fire at the Immigration Detention Center in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province on February 11, killed 8 Chinese and 1 Uzbek, and 18 other foreigners were injured.

The fire broke out on the third floor in Room 304 at around 3:55 a.m. and burned part of the third floor. Although the fire was extinguished after some 40 minutes, nine foreigners who were living in Rooms 304, 306, and 305 died. The bodies of the deceased were taken to three hospitals, five to Songshim Hospital in Yeosu, three to Chonnam Hospital in Yochon and one to Chonnam Hospital in Yeosu.

Among the casualties, 8 of the deceased and 17 of the injured are from China, while one Uzbek was killed, and one Sri Lankan was severely injured.

In the center, 55 foreigners from nine countries (51 men and 4 women), who were forced to leave Korea after being arrested for staying in Korea illegally, were held.

The police suspect that Mr. A, a 39-year old man from China, who planned to flee from the facility, set the building on fire after some staffers told the police that Mr. A covered the CCTV camera with wet toilet paper three times just five minutes before the fire occurred.

However, given the statement that Mr. A was found dead on the scene and the fact that there was an electric spark behind the television set in Room 304, police have not ruled out the possibility that the cause of the fire was not arson.

Meanwhile, upon receiving reports of the blaze, Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook called Justice Minister Kim Sung-ho immediately and requested a “thorough investigation into this case while taking care of the killed and injured.”

shjung@donga.com peacechaos@donga.com