An emergency evacuation shelter for residents displaced by the Coupang warehouse fire operates at the gymnasium of Sinhyeon Elementary School in Seo-gu, Incheon, on Monday, as the blaze enters its third day. [Yonhap]
An emergency evacuation shelter for residents displaced by the Coupang warehouse fire operates at the gymnasium of Sinhyeon Elementary School in Seo-gu, Incheon, on Monday, as the blaze enters its third day. [Yonhap]

Coupang Fulfillment Services (CFS) is stepping up health support for residents affected by the fire at its logistics center in Seoknam-dong, Seo-gu, Incheon. The company said it will distribute dust masks to nearby elementary schools dealing with smoke exposure and operate hospital shuttle buses for residents who need medical attention.

CFS said Monday it coordinated with the Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education to deliver more than 13,500 dust masks to eight elementary schools near the warehouse. The schools are Sinhyeon, Sinhyeonbuk, Seoknam, Sinseok, Seoknamso, Gahyeon, Cheonma and Bonghwa elementary schools — two of which, Sinhyeon and Sinhyeonbuk, are also hosting temporary evacuation shelters. About 4,500 students and staff across the eight schools are covered by the support.

Nurses from CFS's employee health program, the Coupang Care Center, are stationed at two temporary shelters — at Sinhyeonbuk Elementary School and Sinhyeon Girls' Middle School — to monitor residents' health. They are providing blood pressure checks and over-the-counter medications to evacuees experiencing discomfort.

For residents requiring hospital care, CFS is arranging shuttle buses in coordination with a general hospital in the area and will also cover medical costs. Refrigerators stocked with ice cream and ice water have been set up at the shelters for residents to use at any time.

On Sunday, the second day of the fire, CFS delivered mattresses, underwear and wet wipes to the Sinhyeon Elementary School shelter. The company is also providing breakfast, lunch and dinner to evacuees and said it will work with district offices to supply additional emergency relief items in real time as needed.

Kim Gyo-heung, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker representing Incheon's Seo-gu Gap constituency, and local government officials visited the Sinhyeon Elementary shelter on Sunday and urged CFS to do its utmost to protect residents' health. CFS President Jeong Jong-cheol apologized to those affected. "I once again bow my head in apology to the residents suffering because of this fire," he said. "We will do everything in our power to support the health and safety of local residents during their time at the shelters."


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