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Man rescued from Gwangmyeong apartment fire dies after 3 weeks in hospital

Published: 08 Aug. 2025, 12:05

Police, firefighters and officials from the National Forensic Service conduct a joint inspection on July 18 at an apartment complex in Soha-dong, Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi, where a fire in the parking lot the previous day resulted in multiple casualties. [YONHAP]

A man in his 80s who suffered severe burns in a fire at an apartment building in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi, on July 17 died Friday, bringing the death toll from the blaze to six.

According to Gwangmyeong Police Precinct, the man died at 8:38 a.m. Friday while receiving treatment at Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital in Yeongdeungpo District, western Seoul, 22 days after being rescued from the scene.

The man, who lived on the fourth floor, was found with burns across his body and was rushed to the hospital, where he remained unconscious until his death.

With his passing, the number of fatalities from the apartment fire has risen to six. On the day of the blaze, a man in his 60s and two women in their 60s who were found in cardiac arrest died the following morning on July 18.

Two other victims in their 80s died on July 29 and 31. Two people remain in serious condition but are conscious. Another 57 residents suffered injuries, mostly from smoke inhalation.

The fire broke out at around 9:10 p.m. on July 17 in the piloti-style parking lot on the first floor of the building located in Soha-dong, Gwangmyeong. In this type of parking lot, cars are situated beneath a building raised on stilts.

The 10-story building, with one basement level, is a single-tower apartment completed in July 2014 and home to 116 residents in 45 units. Police believe the building’s open piloti structure, which allows significant airflow, enabled flames to race to the roof within moments. The blaze spread to parked vehicles, destroying all 25 cars in the lot.

A joint inspection by the National Forensic Service and the fire department found arc marks — traces left when live wires short-circuit — on cables in the ceiling of the first-floor parking lot, where the fire is believed to have started. Fire authorities suspect sparks from the short circuit ignited nearby insulation materials, such as extruded polystyrene foam. Police have questioned about 50 residents so far and continue to investigate the incident.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY CHOI MO-RAN [[email protected]]