20150323 South Korea Dumbfounding tent fire
Korea Mar 23 2015 “Other”
Dead : dead 5 to 9 Burnout : 0 or unknown Injured : injured 1 to 9
Dumbfounding tent fire
Updated: 2015-03-23 17:34
Every time a big disaster occurs, there is criticism that it could have been prevented if the authorities had done their job properly. A campsite fire that claimed five lives early Sunday morning was such a case.
The fire broke out on an island off the western port city of Incheon, killing five people, including three children, and injuring two others. The dead victims ― all from two families ― were asleep when the blaze ravaged their cone-shaped tent. The two dead men were close friends since their middle school days.
An investigation is under way to determine the cause of the deadly fire, but firefighters suspect that an electric heating device inside the tent may have triggered it.
It appears that the victims were helpless against the fire, given that the tent, about 16 square meters, was completely gutted within minutes. But it turns out that the tragedy was preventable if authorities had fixed loopholes in safety management in advance.
The campground is used for so-called “glamping,” luxury camping that provides various home electronic appliances, beds, tables and chairs for campers. But because of the electric sockets required for these appliances, “glamorous camping” tents are vulnerable to fire.
Despite this perilous environment, however, there was no fire extinguisher inside the tent made from highly inflammable material. And some of the fire extinguishers found at the campsite did not work. Also, the entrance of the tent was so narrow that it was all but impossible for the victims to find an exit on such a dark night.
The campground in question began its operation last July, riding on the country’s camping boom. But its operator didn’t register the campsite with the authorities, making it possible to not undergo any safety inspection.
In fact, campsites have been in the blind spot of government regulations. Of the nation’s 1,800 such facilities, only 200 were under proper management as of the end of 2013. A sample survey conducted by the National Disaster Management Institute in 2013 also showed that nearly 80 percent of the surveyed 430 campsites received the lowest “E” safety grade.
With the explosive rise in the number of campers in recent years, safety accidents at campgrounds surged from 282 in 2010 to 4,359 in 2012. But the government’s response has been poor. It’s no coincidence that two children were killed after the explosion of an electric heater inside a tent in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province, a week ago.
Stricter safety standards must be applied to luxury campsites where heating is routine. It’s sad to see such manmade disasters shake the country repeatedly.
Web Source: Korea Times
http://koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2015/03/137_175765.html