A massive fire burns on the sixth floor of a Coupang Inc logistics center in Seoknam-dong, Seohaegu, Incheon, on Saturday morning, with firefighting operations stretching beyond 15 hours. [Yonhap]
A massive fire burns on the sixth floor of a Coupang Inc logistics center in Seoknam-dong, Seohaegu, Incheon, on Saturday morning, with firefighting operations stretching beyond 15 hours. [Yonhap]

A fire that broke out at a Coupang Inc logistics center in Incheon on Saturday has continued to burn for more than 24 hours, defying overnight firefighting efforts by authorities.

According to the Incheon Fire Headquarters, the blaze that erupted at around 6:54 a.m. Saturday at the Coupang 32 logistics center in Seoknam-dong, Seohaegu had still not been extinguished as of 7:54 a.m. Sunday — more than 24 hours later.

The logistics center has a total floor area of 299,000 square meters and stands eight stories tall. The fire, which started on the sixth floor, has since spread to the seventh. Signs of a potential building collapse emerged around 6:50 a.m. Sunday, prompting authorities to order firefighters to evacuate immediately. Fire department officials said flammable household goods stacked on the sixth floor have made suppression efforts significantly more difficult.

With thick smoke and intense heat blocking entry into the building, firefighters have been using ramp zones on the side of the structure to battle the blaze.

Authorities have maintained a national fire mobilization order issued at around 3:15 p.m. Saturday. A total of 198 pieces of equipment — including aerial ladder trucks, large-capacity foam discharge systems and high-performance chemical vehicles — along with 549 firefighters and police officers have been deployed to the scene.

"The fire has not spread beyond the sixth and seventh floors," a fire department official said. "We expect suppression efforts to take a considerable amount of time."


yeongdai@heraldcorp.com