Deadly fire highlights immigrant neighborhood's dangers

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Deadly fire highlights immigrant neighborhood's dangers

Published: 28 Mar. 2023, 18:48 Updated: 28 Mar. 2023, 19:30

An investigator from Gyeonggi Disaster and Safety Headquarters inspects the Nigerian family's house in Seonbu-dong in Danwon District, Gyeonggi, which was entirely burned after a fire broke out Monday morning, killing four Nigerian siblings. [NEWS1]

A house fire in Danwon District, Ansan on Monday that took the lives of four Nigerian siblings was not the family's first fire after moving to the neighborhood.

Family members were injured two years ago after a fire broke out in the basement of a multifamily residence located in Wongok-dong in Danwon District, about five minutes away from where the fire occurred Monday.

Outdated residential facilities are blamed for the frequent fires in the area.

A total of 45 fires broke out in Seonbu-dong last year, the highest number of occurrences in the district, according to the Gyeonggi Disaster and Safety Headquarters.

The fire that broke out at around 3:28 a.m. Monday in Seonbu-dong, Danwon District, burned the entire 40-square-meter (430-square-feet) house. A total of 11 households and 41 people lived in the building, mostly Koryoin, or ethnic Koreans from the former Soviet Union who moved to Korea from Russia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

The deadly fire killed four Nigerian siblings sleeping in a bedroom.

Residents in the town are mostly foreigners, with around 10,580 foreigners living in Seonbu-dong alone. Over 3,000 Koryoin reside within 500 meters of where the fire broke out Monday morning.

Many foreigners began living in the area over a decade ago as it was known for its low-cost housing.

“A studio of about 8 pyeong [26 square meter] and 12 pyeong usually requires a deposit of 500,000 won [$385] to one million won and a monthly payment of 250,0000 won in our building, which is cheaper than a gosiwon [small studios primarily meant for students],” a landlord of a building located in the town said.

“Residents are mostly foreigners from Russia, Uzbekistan, the Philippines and Pakistan.”

According to the landlord, the building was constructed about 40 years ago.

“Support and improvements are needed in the area as it is exposed to all kinds of risk due to underdevelopment,” said Kim Young-sook, head of the Koryoin Cultural Center in Ansan.

The four Nigerian siblings are believed to have died from suffocation, according to Ansan Danwon Police Precinct on Tuesday.

Parents of the dead siblings are still receiving treatment at a hospital with their youngest daughter, the only child to survive the fire.

A fire broke out at a residence in Ansan, Gyeonggi, and took the lives of four Nigerian children Monday morning. [THE GYEONGGI DISASTER AND SAFETY HEADQUARTERS]

BY SON SUNG-BAE, CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]