2 firefighters killed in South Korea cold storage blaze

Two firefighters were killed as a blaze intensified during rescue operations at a cold storage warehouse in South Korea on Sunday, Yonhap news reported.

The fire erupted at a fisheries processing company’s warehouse in the southwestern county of Wando, South Jeolla province, prompting authorities to mobilize more than 100 firefighters.

The fire was extinguished after about three hours.

The firefighters became trapped inside the warehouse and were later found dead.

The blaze is said to have started while workers were using a torch to remove paint from the building as part of floor-leveling and repaving work.

Lee Min-seok, chief of the Wando Fire Station, said the two firefighters were unable to escape after reentering the site to extinguish residual flames following the initial operation.

“Oil mist presumed to have been floating near the ceiling exploded,” Lee said at a press briefing. “The operations chief ordered seven firefighters to evacuate after spotting black smoke and flames via radio communication, but two were unable to exit.”

Fire authorities said they may investigate the exact cause of the blaze.