Photo : KBS News
A delay in evacuating guests from a hotel in Bucheon, west of Seoul, contributed to the death toll when a fire broke out in August.
The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency released the results of the investigation Tuesday, saying the hotel’s fire alarm went off immediately after the blaze started, but a hotel employee turned it off.
After turning off the alarm, the police said the employee went to the room where the fire started and turned it back on only after seeing the fire in the room.
The police found that the entire process took two minutes and 24 seconds, delaying the evacuation of the hotel.
Faulty wiring in an air conditioner started the fire, which killed seven people and injured 12 others.