Home > Opinion > Meanwhile

What has changed from three months ago?

Published: 21 Nov. 2024, 18:57

KIM SEON-MI
The author is a national news reporter of the JoongAng Ilbo.

Some relief causes sadness. A case in point is the fire at a motel in Ansan, Gyeonggi, on Nov. 17. The fire broke out suddenly early in the morning, but all 52 people inside the building were rescued, including dozens of guests on the fifth and sixth floors.

It is fortunate that no one died, but I felt bitter thinking about a similar accident in Bucheon three months ago. In August, seven people died in a fire at a nine-story hotel in Bucheon. The two accidents are similar in that a fire at a lodging could lead to major casualties, but the actual casualties were very different.

Fire authorities said the damage was reduced by letting smoke and heat from the Ansan motel building escape through the window. Firefighters at the scene climbed the stairs and broke windows with axes during the rescue mission. At the time of the Bucheon accident, the fire didn’t spread much, but five people suffocated to death as the smoke spread rapidly even before firefighters arrived.

However, a more noticeable difference was the role of rescue mattresses. Two of the dead in the Bucheon fire fell on a rescue mattress and died as it had flipped over. A parliamentary audit later found that the rescue mattress used at the time had been acquired 18 years ago. Jeongseon and Gangneung in Gangwon and Jincheon in North Chungcheong also use rescue mattresses that are about 20 years old. In general, a rescue mattress can be used for seven years, but there was no clear legal requirement. Therefore, a mattress’s usage was extended year by year by the review committee.

In the wake of a series of criticisms, the fire authorities strengthened rescue mattress exercises and inspected them at fire departments across the country. The Ansan Fire Station, which was dispatched to the fire, conducts training twice a month. The National Fire Agency has also set a policy to replace all 490 rescue mattresses that have expired nationwide.

When emphasizing the coincidental and contingent nature of an incident, we often say, “It was like a traffic accident.” But Jessie Singer, an American journalist and author of “There Are No Accidents,” says otherwise. She points to the inherent loopholes of the social system by analyzing major accidents from the early 20th century. Most of the so-called accidents could have been predicted and prevented.

Even in Korea, unfortunate disasters often occur when they could have been prevented with basic training, inspection and manual preparation. It’s time for us to exercise caution not to hide behind the word “accident” and neglect risks.