Electrical ignition suspected in Gangnam Eunma Town Apartments fire; police request forensic analysis

The Financial News – Police investigating the fire at Eunma Town Apartments in Daechi-dong, Gangnam District, which left four people dead or injured including a teenage high school student, are focusing on the possibility that the blaze was sparked by an electrical cause.
According to police on the 25th, Suseo Police Station in Seoul is examining whether the fire started due to an electrical issue such as a short circuit or leakage, and is working to determine the exact circumstances of the blaze.
After conducting a joint inspection with fire authorities the previous day, police sent several electrical fixtures, including lighting equipment, to the National Forensic Service (NFS) for detailed analysis. So far, investigators have found no indication of arson or any other criminal offense.
The fire broke out at around 6:18 a.m. the previous day on the eighth floor of Eunma Town Apartments, killing a 16-year-old girl, identified only as A. Her mother in her 40s and her teenage younger sister suffered burns and smoke inhalation and are being treated in hospital. A woman in her 50s living in the unit above was also rescued after inhaling smoke.
At the time, the apartment building had no sprinkler system, which reportedly made it harder to bring the fire under control. Eunma Town Apartments, completed in 1979, is among the many apartment complexes that began construction before sprinkler installations became mandatory under the Fire Services Act in 1992, and such buildings have been criticized as being in a blind spot for fire safety.
yesji@fnnews.com Kim Ye-ji Reporter