Fire scene where overnight firefighting operations are underway on the 19th [Provided by Incheon Fire Headquarters]

Local authorities have decided to issue an evacuation order for nearby residents due to the potential collapse of parts of the Coupang logistics center in Incheon, where a fire has been burning for two days.

According to fire authorities and other sources on the 19th, Incheon's Seohae-gu plans to issue an evacuation order at 11:00 p.m. today for an area within a 116-meter radius of the logistics center's ramp area.

Seohae-gu held a situation assessment meeting with relevant agencies this afternoon and decided to issue the evacuation order, taking into account the risk of building collapse.

It was noted that the evacuation zone does not include densely populated residential areas but primarily covers small and medium-sized manufacturing businesses and commercial facilities.

A safety engineer for Coupang who attended the meeting reportedly stated, "If the fire continues, parts of the logistics center building may shift sideways," adding, "There is a risk of collapse if the shifted building structure collides with the ramp area (truck entrance and exit route)."

On the other hand, a structural engineer from the Korean Structural Engineers Association reportedly countered this, stating, "If the fire continues, the stored goods will be consumed and will no longer act as a load," and added that "the condition itself (assumed by Coupang) is unreasonable."

An official from Seohae-gu said, "While there were various opinions at the meeting, we decided that proactive and preemptive measures must be taken for the lives and safety of the residents."

The fire broke out at approximately 6:54 a.m. the previous day, and fire authorities have been conducting extinguishing operations for nearly 40 hours after issuing a 'national fire mobilization order,' which gathers personnel and equipment from eight neighboring provinces and cities.

Fire authorities have deployed 721 personnel, including firefighters and police officers, along with 228 pieces of equipment, including ladder trucks, articulated fire trucks, and helicopters, but they are facing difficulties in the firefighting efforts due to the large amount of combustible materials stored in the center and its complex internal structure.