Smoke billows from Coupang’s No. 32 logistics center in Seongnam-dong, Seo-gu, Incheon, on the 19th, where a fire has continued for a second day. Yonhap News
Coupang said on the 19th that it has begun providing emergency relief supplies for evacuated residents and firefighters following a fire at its logistics center in Seoknam-dong, Seohae-gu, Incheon.
Coupang has been delivering relief supplies since the afternoon of the 18th to Incheon Sinhyeon Elementary School, where an evacuation shelter was set up after the fire. The company provided 100 mattresses, more than 100 pieces of underwear, hundreds of wet wipes, toilet paper and tissues, and 500 cups of instant noodles, and plans to provide meals for evacuated residents.
The company also prepared for additional support. Coupang moved 200 sets of relief supplies from its Sejong fulfillment center, which operates as an emergency relief hub, to a logistics facility near the shelter the previous night and stockpiled them. The Sejong fulfillment center keeps a total of 2,000 sets of emergency relief supplies in permanent reserve.
The relief supplies consist of bedding and clothing such as comforters, pillows, towels and socks, as well as daily necessities including compressed wet wipes, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap and foldable three-fold mattresses. The supplies focus on minimizing early living inconveniences for residents staying at the shelter, such as hygiene, sleep and warmth, and the company plans to provide additional items immediately if needed.
Coupang is also continuing support for firefighters carrying out extinguishing work at the site. From the day the fire broke out through the 19th, Coupang has continuously provided daily necessities such as toothbrushes and mobile phone chargers, along with snacks and drinks, to firefighters stationed at the scene.
Coupang said it plans to continue closely consulting with relevant agencies, including the Seohae-gu Office in Incheon, and to quickly supply items needed at the site.
Earlier, at around 6:40 a.m. the previous day, a fire broke out on the sixth floor of the eight-story Coupang No. 32 logistics center, with a total floor area of 299,000 square meters, in Seoknam-dong, Seohae-gu, Incheon. Fire authorities issued a Level 1 response at 9 a.m., raised it to a Level 2 response three hours later at 12 p.m., and issued a national fire mobilization order at 3:15 p.m. All 121 employees inside the logistics center at the time of the fire evacuated on their own.
Fire authorities believe the fire, which started on the sixth floor, spread up the building’s exterior wall to the seventh floor. The sixth floor where the fire occurred is a large warehouse with a three-tier shelf structure, and a large amount of combustible materials such as daily necessities was stored there, reportedly making extinguishing efforts difficult.
Regarding the incident, Jung Jong-chul, CEO of Coupang Fulfillment Services (CFS), said, “I sincerely apologize for causing concern to many people with this fire at the Incheon logistics center.” He added, “We will actively support firefighting activities and cooperate faithfully with the investigation by relevant authorities,” and said, “We also plan to actively provide support for local residents who are experiencing difficulties due to this fire.”