The fire started on the sixth floor of the eight-story facility and subsequently spread to the seventh floor. All 121 employees who were in the building were able to evacuate, but two firefighters were hospitalized for smoke inhalation and exhaustion. Authorities issued an evacuation order for nearby shops and factories due to the risk of parts of the building collapsing.
The Incheon logistics center handles the company's express deliveries in the Seoul area and stores flammable materials such as household products and packaging. Coupang's Chief Logistics Officer Jeong Jong-cheol announced over the weekend that the company intends to cooperate with the authorities, support firefighting efforts, and assist local residents. According to local media, the total damage to the building, warehouse, and operations could amount to several hundred million US dollars.
The weekend incident follows a period of operational challenges for Coupang. In June, the company was fined approximately 3.9 billion Swedish krona following a data leak that exposed the personal data of millions of users. The fire in South Korea also coincides with the Russian e-commerce company Wildberries being hit by fires in two of its logistics centers, which reports say were caused by drone attacks in connection with the war in Ukraine.