Overview

• Police and fire authorities launched a joint forensic investigation Monday into the cause of the Aug. 17 blaze in the Changjeon-dong apartment complex.
• Investigators recovered a lithium-ion battery pack believed to power an e-scooter from the charred 14th-floor unit where the fire originated.
• Officials said the incident closely resembles a thermal runaway event in which a charging battery can exceed 1,000°C and erupt.
• The 20-story building, completed in 1998, lacks automatic sprinklers on its 14th floor because regulations at the time required coverage only on floors 16 and above.
• Lawmakers and experts are calling for financial support to accelerate the retrofit of sprinklers in older high-rise apartments that remain unprotected.