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Firefighters battle a blaze at a Coupang logistics center in Seongnam-dong, Seohae-gu, Incheon, on July 20, as the fire continues for a third day. / Courtesy of Yonhap News

An initial fire at a Coupang logistics center in Incheon has been brought under control after 61 hours, prompting the local municipality to lift an evacuation order previously issued for nearby areas.

According to the Seohae-gu Office of Incheon on July 20, the district held a situation assessment meeting chaired by the district head, who serves as chief of the local disaster and safety countermeasure headquarters, and decided to lift the evacuation order around the Coupang logistics center as of 11:00 p.m.

This decision comes one day after the district issued the evacuation order the previous day at 11:00 p.m. for areas within a 116-meter radius of the logistics center's parking ramp zone. The evacuation target encompassed commercial buildings and factories to the south of the logistics center, while residential areas and police and firefighting personnel operating on-site were excluded.

With fire authorities bringing the main blaze under control at around 8:00 p.m. that day, the risk of building collapse was reportedly reduced significantly.

After inspecting the internal structural frame using Fire Agency drones, the Korean Structural Engineers Association assessed that Building B, where the fire initially started, carries a low probability of additional collapse.

Building A, to which the fire had spread, had also faced concerns of potential tilting or overturning at one point, but recent investigations showed that the associated risks have largely subsided.

Residents staying at temporary shelters set up at Sinhyeon Elementary School and Sinhyeonbuk Elementary School are expected to return home sequentially following the revocation of the evacuation order. As of 7:00 p.m. that day, 202 residents remained at the shelters.

While these residents were not formally subject to the official evacuation order, they reportedly evacuated voluntarily out of concern over smoke and dust damage generated by the fire.

Earlier on July 18 at approximately 6:54 a.m., a major fire broke out at the Coupang 32 Logistics Center in Seongnam-dong, Seohae-gu, Incheon. The facility comprises Building A, Building B, and a parking ramp area for cargo vehicle entry and exit.

Fire authorities continued firefighting operations while maintaining the national firefighting mobilization order issued on the day of the outbreak, bringing the main blaze under control around 8:00 p.m. that day, 61 hours after the fire started.

                                                                                                         Seol So-young