Firefighters battle blaze at Coupang logistics center in Incheon for over 31 hours

INCHEON, South Korea, July 19 (Yonhap) -- Firefighters struggled to put out a fire at a logistics center operated by retail giant Coupang Corp. in the western port city of Incheon on Sunday, more than 31 hours after the blaze broke out.

The fire began on the sixth floor of the facility at 6:54 a.m. the previous day, prompting 121 people inside, including logistics workers, to evacuate.

Authorities issued a national firefighting mobilization order, mobilizing personnel and equipment from eight neighboring cities and provinces.

A total of 221 vehicles and 575 firefighters and police officers have been deployed to the scene, while helicopters and ladder trucks sprayed water from the air and ground, but they have so far been unable to bring the blaze under control.

Firefighters said poor visibility from thick smoke, along with large quantities of flammable objects stored inside the logistics center, hampered their efforts.

Fire authorities plan to investigate the exact cause of the fire once the blaze is extinguished.

Two firefighters were taken to a hospital after inhaling smoke and suffering exhaustion Saturday.

In 2021, a firefighter who went missing while battling the blaze at a Coupang distribution center in Icheon, about 50 kilometers southeast of Seoul, was found dead about 48 hours later.