A construction site fire in Icheon killed 39 workers, exposing serious safety violations including absent sprinklers and reliance on irregular labor.
Key Facts
- Deaths
- 39 workers killed
- Injuries
- 10 people injured
- Workers present
- Approximately 78 at time of fire
- Primary cause of death
- Carbon monoxide poisoning (23 samples tested)
- Explosions recorded
- At least 10 explosions heard
- Worker status
- All victims were irregular or subcontract workers
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Workers in the sub-basement of a building under construction were applying polyurethane foam when a fire ignited. The building lacked sprinklers and other mandatory safety measures, and no fire suppression systems were in place to contain the blaze. The hazardous foam material contributed to rapid combustion and toxic gas generation.
On 29 April 2020 at approximately 13:30 local time, a fire broke out at a construction site in Icheon, South Korea, triggering at least ten explosions. The four-story building with two underground floors had some 78 workers present. The fire killed 39 people, most from carbon monoxide poisoning, and injured 10 others.
South Korean authorities launched an investigation into the cause of the fire and the safety regulations that were violated. Autopsies were conducted on 15 of the 39 victims, a decision that angered the victims' families. The incident drew attention to the vulnerability of irregular and subcontract workers on construction sites and the enforcement of fire safety codes.