"I turned off the alarm when the fire broke out".Bucheon Hotel fire is 'talent'

A police investigation found that a hotel employee turned off the fire alarm to increase the damage during the Bucheon Hotel fire, which caused 19 casualties in August.

The Bucheon Fire Investigation Headquarters of the Gyeonggi Southern Police Agency held a briefing at the Bucheon Wonmi Police Station yesterday (8th) and announced the final results of the investigation.

The police explained that the alarm went off at the time of the fire, but the evacuation was delayed by more than two minutes while the staff turned off the alarm, checked the fire scene and started it again.

He added that if the employee had not turned off the alarm, the five dead would have been able to evacuate after knowing the fire first.

The fire then began on the air conditioner front in the room, and it was found that the hotel owner connected the old and new wires in the process of replacing the air conditioner and ended poorly without safety devices.

Police also said the room was open because there was no automatic closing device, and the fire door was also fixed with a "bundle of water bottles" and opened, causing rapid spread of flames and smoke, resulting in greater casualties.

He also said that two guests died after falling on an air mat installed by the fire department, but it is difficult to hold the fire accountable, citing that the mat installation point was inclined at the time.

Police filed an arrest warrant for four people, including the hotel owner, operator and manager, who caught fire yesterday on charges of professional negligence and other charges.