Miryang hospital fire

Last updated

Miryang hospital fire
South Korea adm location map.svg
Green pog.svg
Miryang hospital fire (South Korea)
Date26 January 2018 (2018-01-26)
Time7:35  a.m.  (KST)
Duration3 hours [1]
VenueSejong Hospital
Location Miryang, South Gyeongsang, South Korea
Coordinates 35°28′34″N128°45′58″E / 35.47611°N 128.76611°E / 35.47611; 128.76611
TypeHospital fire
Deaths41 [2] [3] [4]
Non-fatal injuries153 [5]

On 26 January 2018, a fire at the Sejong Hospital in the South Korean city of Miryang killed 41 people [3] [6] and injured 153. [5] [7] [8] [1] [9] It was South Korea's deadliest fire in nearly a decade. [1] The fire occurred one month after 29 people died in a gym fire in the city of Jecheon. The cause of the fire is under investigation. [10] [11]

Contents

Hospitals

The Sejong Hospital and adjacent Sejong Nursing Hospital were established in 2008 by the Hyoseong Medical Foundation. The Sejong Hospital is a large general hospital; the hospital and the Sejong Nursing Hospital have 95 beds and 98 beds respectively with 27 medical staff each. [12]

The Sejong Hospital was not required to install fire sprinklers based on its aggregate area, whereas in the Sejong Nursing Hospital, sprinklers were required to be installed after the relevant law was revised and were planned to be installed by 30 June. [12]

Incident

The fire began on the first floor of the Sejong Hospital at 7:35  a.m.  (KST). At the time, there were over 100 patients in the main hospital and 94 in the adjacent nursing home complex. [13] Two nurses stated that they had seen fire suddenly erupting in the emergency room, immediately triggering an evacuation process throughout the hospital and nursing home. As the fire began to spread through the first level of the main hospital, large volumes of smoke spread into the upper floors.

By the time firefighters arrived, 25 people were already dead. [14] Firefighters worked through thick smoke to save patients, including 15 patients from the third floor intensive care unit under the supervision of hospital staff. [15]

Shortly after the fire began, local Miryang resident Jeong Dong Hwa mounted a rescue effort that saved the lives of ten people who were trapped on the hospital's fifth floor. [16] Jeong's brother-in-law and sister-in-law also participated in rescue efforts to help save the lives of people trapped on the third floor. [17]

The fire was brought under control after 9:30 a.m. (KST).

Victims

The fire killed 41 people and injured 153. [3] [5] Among the 41 deaths were one doctor, one nurse and one assistant nurse. Thirty people were over 70 years old. [18] [19] Jeong's 88-year-old mother-in-law was found alive on the third floor but died the following day. [17]

Response

In the immediate aftermath of the fire, South Korean President Moon Jae-in called an emergency meeting, ordering emergency officials in and around the area to continue focusing life-saving support on the evacuated patients. [20] Senior officials from both ruling and opposition parties traveled to the area to offer their condolences to victims and families.

Ruling Democratic Party spokeswoman Kim Hyun urged authorities "to mobilize all available personnel and equipment to handle the aftermath" while Liberty Korea Party spokesman Choung Tae-ok demanded no negligence in rescue operations. Referencing the Jecheon fire disaster from the previous December, People's Party spokeswoman Lee Heang-Ja stated members felt "deeply saddened that a fire occurred again when the citizens' sorrow of the Jecheon fire still lingers." [21]

For his heroic rescue efforts, Jeong was honored with the President's Award by President Moon. [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

Gang Hong-rip was a Korean general during the Joseon period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arirang</span> Korean folk song

Arirang is a Korean folk song. There are about 3,600 variations of 60 different versions of the song, all of which include a refrain similar to "Arirang, arirang, arariyo". It is estimated the song is more than 600 years old.

Shon Seung-mo is a badminton player from South Korea. In 2004, he won the silver medal at the Athens Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miryang</span> Municipal City in Yeongnam, South Korea

Miryang, formerly also spelled as 推火郡, Milbeol (密伐) and Milseong (密城), is a city in Gyeongsangnam-do Province, South Korea. Its name is originated from the tribal country named Miri midong guk (彌離彌凍國). There are various hypotheses as to the meaning of Miryang, such as Milky Way, Galaxy, dragon's field, Wheat Field and the watery field. Neighboring cities include Changnyeong to the west, Cheongdo to the north, Ulsan to the east, and Yangsan, Gimhae, and Changwon to the south. The city bird is the Korean magpie, the city tree is the pine, and the city flower is the royal azalea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daegu subway fire</span> 2003 subway arson in Daegu, South Korea

On February 18, 2003, an arsonist set fire to a Daegu Metro subway train as it arrived at Jungangno station in central Daegu, South Korea. The resulting blaze, which spread when a second train stopped at the same station, killed 192 people and injured another 151. It remains the deadliest loss of life in a single deliberate incident in South Korean peacetime history, surpassing the 1982 shooting rampage committed by Woo Bum-kon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woo Bum-kon incident</span> 1982 killing spree in South Korea

During the night from April 26 to April 27, 1982, South Korean policeman Woo Bum-kon murdered 56 people and wounded around 35 others in several villages in Uiryeong County, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, before committing suicide when he was confronted by police.

<i>Secret Sunshine</i> 2007 South Korean film

Secret Sunshine is a 2007 South Korean drama film directed by Lee Chang-dong. The screenplay based on the short fiction "The Abject" by Lee Cheong-jun that focuses on a woman as she wrestles with the questions of grief, madness and faith. The Korean title Miryang is named after the city that served as the film's setting and filming location, of which "Secret Sunshine" is the literal translation. For her performance in the film, Jeon Do-yeon won the Prix d'interprétation féminine at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. The film also won the award for Best Film at the Asian Film Awards and at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. The film sold 1,710,364 tickets nationwide in South Korea alone.

ROKS <i>Munmu the Great</i> (DDH-976) Daegu-class frigate

ROKS Munmu the Great (DDH-976) is a Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin-class destroyer in the South Korean navy. It was named after the Korean king Munmu of Silla.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M.I.B (band)</span> 2011–2017 South Korean hip hop group

M.I.B was a South Korean hip hop quartet from Jungle Entertainment. Jungle Entertainment reported that 1.7 million USD was invested for the group's debut album since 2009. The album was personally produced and four tracks were part of a solo spin-off to show that each member can stand on their own. Their self-titled album, Most Incredible Busters, was released on October 25. They officially disbanded on January 4, 2017.

The Miryang middle school girl gang rape case was a criminal incident that occurred in Miryang, South Korea in 2004. As many as 120 male high school students gang raped several middle school and high school girls over the course of 11 months. The case provoked controversy due to police mistreatment of the victims and lenient handling of the offenders.

Events from the year 1980 in South Korea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">O-Train (Korail)</span> South Korean sightseeing train

O-Train was a South Korean sightseeing train operated by Korail. The train began operations in 2013 and transports tourists from Seoul, in a circular route, through South Korea's central inland region and back to Seoul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bak Yeon</span> Korean scholar-official (1378–1458)

Bak Yeon or Park Yeon was a government official, scholar, writer, astronomer and musician in the Early Joseon Dynasty period, who was a teacher of King Sejong and created Armillary sphere Honcheonui, Water clock Borugak Jagyeongnu and sundial Yangbu Ilgu along with Jang Yeong-sil and five basic sounds(Gung, Sang, Gak, Chi, Wu), which corresponds to five consonant groups in Hunminjeongeum. He has also adapted court music to the new Confucian philosophy, particularly in the concept of yeak, a Confucian ideology that combines ritual and music.

A major fire occurred on 21 December 2017, at the Duson Sporium sport center in Jecheon, South Korea, killing at least 29 people and injuring another 36. Twenty of those killed were trapped in a sauna on the second floor of the building, which also housed a variety of other commercial establishments including a gym, a golf practice facility, and a number of restaurants.

A major fire occurred on 29 April 2020 at a construction site in Icheon, South Korea, killing 39 people and injuring another 10. Blood samples taken from 23 victims indicate most had died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Autopsies have been completed on 15 of the 39 people killed, as recommended by South Korea authorities, but has angered victims' families. All killed workers were irregular or subcontract workers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 South Korea shooting spree</span> Mass shooting in Gangwon, South Korea

On June 21, 2014, a mass shooting perpetrated by Lim Do-bin that began around 20:15 p.m. in the 13th outpost of the 55th Regiment of the South Korean army's 22nd Infantry Division in Goseong County, Gangwon Province, South Korea.

The following lists events in the year 2022 in South Korea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seoul Halloween crowd crush</span> 2022 crowd crush in South Korea

On 29 October 2022, around 22:20, a crowd surge occurred during Halloween festivities in the Itaewon neighborhood of Seoul, South Korea. According to the South Korean government, 159 people were killed and 196 others were injured. The death toll includes two people who died after the crush. The victims were mostly young adults; 27 of the victims were foreign nationals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seongsu Bridge disaster</span> 1994 bridge collapse in Seoul, South Korea

The Seongsu Bridge disaster was a deadly bridge collapse that occurred on the morning of October 21, 1994 in Seoul, South Korea. 32 people died and 17 were injured when a section of the upper truss of the Seongsu Bridge collapsed onto the Han River. A combination of faulty welding, rusted extension hinges, and insufficient maintenance resulted in the structural failure of the bridge.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Dozens killed in South Korean hospital fire". BBC News. 26 January 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  2. ↑ Jo, Un (27 January 2018). 사망자 계속 증가 밀양 세종병원 화재‥ 대책은?. MediaPana (in Korean). Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 Jo, Yong-hoon (26 January 2018). 밀양 세종병원 화재 사망 39명·부상 131명. News Tomato (in Korean). Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  4. ↑ 밀양 세종병원 화재 참사 사망자 1명 더 늘어…총 41명 (in Korean). asiae.co.kr. 3 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 1월 27일 오늘의 안전 상황. Fire Prevention News (in Korean). 27 January 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  6. ↑ Choi, He-suk (26 January 2018). "Death toll from hospital fire in Miring jumps to 41". The Korea Herald . Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  7. ↑ "South Korea hospital fire kills 33 people". Australian Broadcast Corporation. 26 January 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  8. ↑ "South Korean hospital fire kills dozens". The Sydney Morning Herald. 26 January 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  9. ↑ Lee, Taehoon (26 January 2018). "South Korean hospital fire kills 39, injures more than 70". CNN. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  10. ↑ "Hospital fire breaks out in South Korea, kills more than 30". CBS News. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  11. ↑ Choe, Sang-Hun (26 January 2018). "South Korea Hospital Fire Kills at Least 37 People". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  12. 1 2 밀양 세종병원은 어떤 곳… 요양병원 붙어있고 193병상 갖춰 [What is Sejong Hospital in Milyang? There are 193 hospital beds attached to the nursing hospital]. JoongAng Ilbo . 26 January 2018.
  13. ↑ Choe, Sang-Hun (25 January 2018). "Fire Kills at least 33 People at South Korea Hospital". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  14. ↑ 밀양 세종병원서 불 37명 사망 143명 다쳐…최악 참사(종합). Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). 26 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  15. ↑ "More than 30 killed in South Korea hospital blaze". France24. 26 January 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  16. ↑ ""I can't get my mother-in-law" Sadness of Jeong Dong-ha who rescued ten Yangyang fires". SBS News. 29 January 2018.
  17. 1 2 "[2018 You're Hero] Sejong Hospital Fire Ladder Ride". Hankook Ilbo . 22 December 2018.
  18. ↑ "밀양 세종병원 화재사고 인명피해 188명으로 늘어" [Victims from the fire accident in Milyang Sejong Hospital increased to 188]. The Hankyoreh. 27 January 2018. Archived from the original on 2 September 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  19. ↑ "'밀양 화재' 사망자 37명 중 30명, 81%가 70세 이상이었다" [Thirty of the 37 deaths in 'Miryang Fire' and 81% were over 70]. The Chosun Ilbo. 26 January 2018.
  20. ↑ Kim, Christine (26 January 2018). "Blaze in South Korean hospital kills 31, injures more than 70". Reuters. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  21. ↑ "Parties call for all-out efforts to handle aftermath of hospital fire". The Korea Herald . Yonhap. 26 January 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  22. ↑ 밀양 참사 의인 정동화씨 대통령상. Ulsan Press. 28 May 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.