178 evacuated after fire breaks out at Icheon logistics center

A fire at a logistics center in Incheon prompted a Level 2 response. No injuries had been reported as of 2 p.m.

Flames and black smoke from a fire that broke out at a logistics center in Icheon, Gyeonggi, are pictured on May 13. [YONHAP]

A fire broke out at a logistics center in Icheon, Gyeonggi, on Tuesday morning, prompting a Level 2 response. As of midday, no injuries or fatalities have been reported.

A report was received at 10:29 a.m. stating that “items stored on the third floor of the logistics center were on fire,” according to the National Fire Agency. As of 2 p.m., 178 people had evacuated the facility and nearby areas, according to the fire department.

Firefighters arrived on the scene at 10:36 a.m. and declared a Level 1 response, which was upgraded to Level 2 at 10:44 a.m. A Level 2 response involves mobilizing 51 to 80 vehicles from eight to 14 fire stations.

All 26 individuals inside the building at the time of the fire evacuated safely on their own. The facility is a three-story structure with one basement floor, made of precast concrete, and has a total floor area of approximately 80,000 square meters (861,112 square feet).

Fire trucks are deployed at the scene of a fire that broke out at a logistics center in Icheon, Gyeonggi, on May 13. [YONHAP]

Authorities have deployed 55 vehicles and 160 personnel, including specialized chemical response units and unmanned water cannons from the Central 119 Rescue Headquarters and Gyeonggi-do Special Response Team.

At 10:54 a.m., Icheon issued a disaster alert, advising residents “to avoid the area due to heavy smoke and to exercise caution.”

Once the fire is fully extinguished, officials plan to investigate the cause of the blaze.

Fire trucks are deployed at the scene of a fire that broke out at a logistics center in Icheon, Gyeonggi, on May 13. [YONHAP]

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff. BY HONG JOO-HEE [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]