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The mothers and babies who were evacuated from the obstetrics and gynecology department in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, where the fire broke out on the 29th, are gradually finding stability.

Police and fire departments, who are investigating, are looking to see if the fire started from a heating wire on the ceiling of the parking lot on the first floor.



This is CJB reporter Jin Ki-hoon.



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At the time of the fire, the building is filled with smoke in an instant.



On the 6th floor of the new building where the newborn room is located, nurses evacuate in a hurry, holding babies first.



The urgency and urgency of the time is evident in the images of mothers evacuating one after another with their babies in their arms.



The mother, who ran out of the room barefoot in surprise, hurriedly grabbed the elevator, and the staff helped the mothers out of the building.



The mother, baby, and hospital officials who were inside the building at the time of the fire opened the fire door and quickly evacuated through the emergency stairs when smoke entered the building.



With a quick response, both patients and medical staff were able to escape safely and prevent major casualties.



[Lee Hee-soon/Nurse: We evacuated the patients first, and the babies went down this side (emergency stairs)…

We start with the patient first.]



The fire started on the ceiling of the open parking lot on the first floor of the new building, but the possibility that the fire started as the heating wire installed to prevent freezing of the plumbing in the ceiling overheats is weighted.



[Jang Deal/Director of Chungbuk Fire Department: Water and sewer pipes are wrapped around hot wires to prevent freezing.

As the heating wire was overloaded, heat was accumulated, and then the entire insulation material on the ceiling slowly melted…

.]



It was confirmed that the ceiling of the parking lot where the fire broke out was under construction to prevent freezing of the pipes last week.



[Hospital official: Pipe freeze prevention construction, heating wire construction, and the construction branch that was carried out last week (the initial ignition point) coincided to some extent…

.]



The estimated damage so far is about 1.5 billion won, and on the 4th of next month, a joint investigation involving the police, fire department, and the National Forensic Service will be held.



(Video coverage: Park Hee-seong CJB)