Pyeongtaek City Holds Emergency Response Meeting Following Warehouse Fire in Cheongbuk-eup

Pyeongtaek City (Mayor Choi Won-yong) held an emergency response meeting on the 18th to implement comprehensive follow-up measures and prevent secondary damage related to the warehouse fire involving hazardous materials and toxic chemicals that occurred in Cheongbuk-eup on the 11th, and has launched a full-scale response system across all departments and divisions.

The fire occurred at approximately 00:03 on August 11th in a storage warehouse in Tojin-ri, Cheongbuk-eup, and no casualties occurred due to swift initial evacuation procedures. The city immediately activated an integrated support headquarters and implemented preemptive emergency response measures, including constructing containment barriers at 8 locations to block fire extinguishing water and hazardous materials from entering public water bodies.

As of August 17th, 64 water trucks were deployed to collect approximately 3,700 tons of contaminated water, and discharge pipes and storm water manhole covers at the facility have been completely sealed to prevent inflow into rivers.

In addition, the city plans to establish and implement response plans by department, division, and section to minimize secondary environmental pollution and resident damage.

A 24-hour surveillance system is being maintained to protect public water bodies in the jurisdiction, and follow-up measures are being prepared, including water quality change monitoring, establishment of a "medical support team" to conduct health checks for residents and workers near the fire site, and requesting soil and agricultural water component analysis when necessary to address farmland damage complaints.

Pyeongtaek City Mayor Choi Won-yong stated, "Preventing secondary damage such as water quality and soil contamination that may occur after fire extinguishment is the most important priority, and we will work closely with related departments and relevant agencies to minimize inconvenience to nearby residents and farms and make every effort until the accident is promptly resolved."