A disastrous fire at a high-end hotel construction site resulted in six deaths and injured 27 others in Busan, South Korea, on the morning of February 14, 2025. The fire ignited at 10:51 AM at the construction site of the Banyan Tree Haeundae resort located in Gijang County, spurring a large scale emergency response.
Hong Moon-shik, Fire Chief of the Busan Gijang District reported that approximately 100 workers managed to evacuate the site, while 14 others were rescued from the top of the structure via helicopter.
The fire originated in insulation material stored near an indoor swimming pool on the first floor of one of the three buildings under construction. It rapidly spread through the complex, which consists of three 12-story buildings, each with three additional levels below ground.
Fire Chief Hong Moon-sik stated that, “the high number of casualties was due to the fire having already spread widely and black smoke filling the interior by the time firefighters arrived.”
The incident prompted a level two emergency response from the Busan Fire Headquarters, deploying 124 fire trucks and 352 firefighters to battle the flames. Three fire helicopters were also utilized as part of the rescue mission, saving the 14 individuals who had sought refuge on the rooftop.
First responders reached the scene within nine minutes of the initial report. Six individuals were found unconscious near the fire’s point of origin on the first floor and later declared dead at local hospitals. “At least other 25 people sustained minor injuries,” Hong Moon-shik reported.
An emergency safety alert was issued by local authorities in Gijang-gun, Busan, advising nearby residents to use alternate routes and for those inside the building to evacuate immediately.
The nearly completed luxury hotel project, managed by Singapore-based Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts, was expected to open later in the year. The resort, which includes 195 guest rooms, 175 in the main tower and 20 in the villa section, along with amenities like private pools, is receiving support from the hotel management company.
Banyan Tree Holdings, the company overseeing the resort, is a global enterprise managing 48 hotels and resorts, as well as 64 hot springs across 22 countries, with holdings in Phuket, Thailand.
In response to the fire, South Korea’s Acting President Choi Sang-mok ordered the mobilization of all accessible resources to extinguish the blaze. The Minister of Employment and Labor has initiated a comprehensive investigation into potential infractions of industrial safety laws.
The Busan city government has established a disaster and safety countermeasures headquarters to provide financial aid and medical assistance to the families of the victims. Local authorities are currently investigating the exact cause of the fire.
South Korea has seen several significant fires in recent years, particularly in industrial facilities and forested areas.
On June 24, 2024, a devastating fire broke out at a lithium battery manufacturing plant owned by Aricell in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. The incident resulted in 23 deaths, mostly Chinese migrant workers, and injured eight others. Investigations revealed that the company had increased production to meet deadlines without addressing known quality issues, leading to the tragedy. In August 2024, the CEO of Aricell, Park Soon-kwan, and his son were arrested on charges of violating industrial safety laws.
In March 2022, a massive forest fire started in Uljin, North Gyeongsang Province, threatening important infrastructure, including a liquefied natural gas plant and the Hanul Nuclear Power Plant. The fire burned over 51,742 acres of land and necessitated the evacuation of nearly 4,000 residents. Full extinguishment took until April 15, 2022, with both South Korean and U.S. military support.
In April 2023, a wildfire fueled by strong winds threatened the eastern coastal city of Gangneung. Over 500 residents were evacuated, and several homes were destroyed. Fortunately, rain later that day helped firefighters contain the blaze.