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This soundproof tunnel is made to prevent loud noises and dust from escaping.

However, this is a plastic material that burns easily, so the tunnel that caught fire today (29th) was quickly enveloped in flames and black smoke.



Correspondent Park Ha-jung follows.



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[Is it moving, fire?

To the right.]



Flames spread along the ceiling of the soundproof tunnel like waves rolling in.



Burnt ceiling materials fall one after another to the floor, and the inside of the tunnel even looks like a furnace.



The length of the soundproof tunnel installed on the 2nd Gyeongin Expressway where the accident occurred today is 540m.



Of these, nearly half were burned, leaving only bony skeletons.



[Lee Hee-Jun/Witness: I heard a series of explosions, so I looked outside and saw a lot of black smoke rising, and the fire continued to grow toward the glass roof on the side...

.]



Looking at the video of the inside of the tunnel that has spread throughout the internet community, the fire started in the engine room of one truck, but the fire spread through the tunnel and the other lane was quickly engulfed in flames and smoke.



The police also said that it seems that there was a collision in the opposite lane because visibility was not secured due to smoke.



The material for this soundproofing tunnel was PMMA, a plastic often referred to as acrylic.



It has good light transmittance, allowing sunlight to enter well, but it also has the characteristics of being easily burned.



[Lee Song-gyu/Chairman of Korea Safety Professionals Association: Since the roof is inflammable, when it spreads, the fire does not come down like a waterfall.

Secondarily, the vehicle may explode.

For soundproofing (facility) materials, non-combustible or flame-retardant materials should be used.]



About 2 years ago, a fire that started from one car in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do also burned down a plastic soundproof tunnel about 50m long.



Since most of the soundproof tunnels installed on domestic roads are made of materials that are vulnerable to fire, a comprehensive inspection is required.



(Video coverage: Hwang In-seok · Kang Dong-cheol, Video editing: Won-hee Won, Screen provided: Viewers Kim Eun-sil · Jeong Hye-soo · Lee Hoon-seong · Park Seung-chun · Ryu Kang-min · Shin Doo-yeong · Lee Su-sang · Lee Joo-won)