Shooting range fire kills 10

From news reports



A fire that tore through an indoor shooting range in Busan on Saturday killed eight Japanese visitors and two Koreans, including the group`s Korean guide, the fire service confirmed yesterday.

Most of the victims in the southern port city were from the Japanese town of Nagasaki and had been taking part in a school reunion outing when the blaze broke out on the second floor of a five-story building about 2:26 p.m. It took an hour to extinguish.

Six people were injured, including three Japanese nationals. Police said the death toll may rise as some of the injured were in critical condition from severe burns.

Police were investigating yesterday to establish the cause of the blaze.



The Japanese had come to the city earlier Saturday on a two-day trip.

Busan is Korea`s largest port city and one of the most popular destinations for Japanese tourists due in part to its proximity to Japan.

"Officials from the National Institute of Scientific Investigation, the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency and related agencies have carried out their second on-site examination to find out exactly from where and how the fire started," Lee Gap-hyeong, head of the Busan Jungbu Police Station, said.

Investigators were also in the process of restoring footage from seven closed-circuit televisions from the range.

"At this stage, it is difficult to even speculate on the cause of the fire. We`ll have to wait for the results of the preliminary on-site investigation," a police official said.



Fire authorities had reportedly warned owners of the shooting range during a recent inspection of potential dangers because of the large amount of soundproof material at the facility that would produce heavy toxic fumes in case of fire.

Meanwhile, 36 family members of the Japanese victims from the fire arrived in Busan in the afternoon.

The Foreign Ministry in Seoul said the government will set up a task force to provide legal and administrative support for the families and the investigation.

"The ministry will help the families through our embassy in Tokyo and contact with the Japanese consulate in Busan," a senior official at the ministry said.

Prime Minister Chung Un-chan instructed the Ministry of Public Administration and Security to take steps to provide support to the families of the dead.