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(Photo= Yonhap news) |
[Alpha Biz= Reporter Kim Jisun] On September 10, police conducted raids on the apartment management office and Mercedes-Benz Korea's headquarters in connection with the recent electric vehicle (EV) fire in Incheon.
According to the Incheon Police Department, 18 officers were deployed to search the office of the apartment in Cheongna-dong, as well as the Mercedes-Benz Korea office in Seoul. They seized documents related to fire safety management, inspections, and materials concerning the Mercedes-Benz EV involved in the incident.
The investigation is focusing on why the fire spread, with police suspecting that the sprinkler system failed to function properly. The police are looking into the fire safety management practices and the cause of the fire. Earlier, three individuals, including the night-shift worker at the apartment management office (identified as A) and the fire safety manager (identified as B), were charged with negligence causing injury.
The fire, which occurred on August 1, injured 23 residents who inhaled smoke, while 87 vehicles were completely burned, and 783 others were damaged by soot. A, who was working during the incident, is accused of failing to properly maintain the fire safety equipment, including sprinklers, which exacerbated the damage.
A was also charged for violating fire safety laws by allegedly pressing a stop button linked to a solenoid valve, causing the sprinkler system to shut off. Under current law, illegally disabling or blocking fire safety systems can result in up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
