A local fire station has been asked to pay the repair costs for the doors of a multi-unit residence, which firefighters broke down during a rescue operation in a recent fire.
Gwangju Bukbu Fire Station said it recently received a request from residents of a residential building in the city's Buk-gu district. In the request, the station was held accountable for the electric locking mechanisms and doors damaged in a Feb. 11 fire.
Firefighters evacuated five people in the fire that killed one, but six units of the building were locked and non-responsive to the evacuation orders. Officials broke down the doors fearing that there may be people inside who fell unconscious from smoke inhalation but found that the units were empty.
In the aftermath of the fire, the building's residents requested some 8 million won ($5,575) to repair the damaged doors. Such damage is conventionally covered by the building owner's insurance policy, but the building was found not to have been insured.
A state-sponsored insurance program that covers unintentional damage by a government official paid for part of some 11 million won in damages, but none of the repair costs for the doors. Officials reached an agreement with city officials to cover the door repair costs separately -- which the Bukbu Station determined was 5.08 million won for the six units -- out of the Gwangju Metropolitan Government's budget.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
