2 firefighters die battling blaze at meat packing plant

Deceased firefighters to be honored with Order of Service Merit, buried at National Cemetery

A rescue operation is underway by fire authorities for a firefighter who was isolated while fighting a blaze at a meat processing factory in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province, in the early hours of Thursday. The fireman was later found dead. (Yonhap)

Two firefighters who were trapped while responding to a fire at a four-story meat processing factory in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province, late Wednesday were found dead early Thursday, fire authorities said.

The Gyeongbuk Fire Service Headquarters said that officials retrieved the bodies of the two firefighters at 1:01 a.m. and 4:14 a.m., respectively, adding that they were around five to seven meters from each other at the time of the discovery.

The two firefighters -- reportedly a 27-year-old senior fireman surnamed Kim and a 35-year-old fireman surnamed Park -- were searching for remaining victims inside the factory and the source of the fire on the third floor, according to authorities.

They were soon engulfed in flames and cornered due to the rapid spread of the fire. They were unable to evacuate the building through the stairs, officials added.

“(The two) trapped rescuers were deployed to the scene in the same clothes, so their identities can’t be confirmed (yet). ... The two firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty were people who demonstrated great excellence more than anyone else,” said Bae Jong-hyuk, the chief of the Mungyeong Fire Agency, as he briefed the press.

Fire authorities and police will further look into the cause of the fire and the manner and cause of death.

Officials also plan to conduct DNA tests to confirm the identification of the two firefighters, explaining that the bodies were found in a condition where it was not possible to identify them by sight.

In the wake of the tragedy, the fire agency of the North Gyeongsang Province said it would award the two deceased firefighters with first-class special promotion and the country’s Order of Service Merit and bury them at the National Cemetry to honor their deaths under the province’s regulations on funeral support for firefighters killed in the line of duty.

President Yoon Suk Yeol expressed condolences on the death of the firefighters, saying that he would not forget their dedication and sacrifice for the country.

“I couldn’t sleep as my heart ached upon hearing the news. (I) offer my deepest condolences on the passing of two firefighting heroes and extend sincere words of comfort to the bereaved families,” he was quoted as saying in a message released by his spokesperson, Kim Soo-kyung.

“Making sacrifices for the community is noble. This is why we shouldn’t let the two firefighters’ sacrifices slip from our memory.”

People Power Party’s interim leader Han Dong-hoon was also set to visit the scene after the emergency committee meeting earlier in the day, canceling his visit to meet Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon and attend a welcoming event for new ruling party members.

By Park Jun-hee(junheee@heraldcorp.com)