DAEGU — 2003 · Major Tragedy
The Daegu Subway Fire
At 9:53 a.m. on 18 February 2003, on Line 1 of the Daegu Metro, a 56-year-old unemployed man ignited a flammable liquid he had brought aboard a train arriving at Jungangno station. The fire soon spread to a second train that entered the same station. When the second train's driver removed the master key and left, its doors stayed shut, and most of the deaths occurred on that train. In total, 192 people died and more than 151 were injured. The perpetrator was sentenced to life imprisonment and died of illness in prison in 2004; both train drivers also received prison terms for negligence. The disaster led to sweeping safety reforms across South Korea's metro systems, including fire-resistant interiors and emergency lighting.
- Date
- 2003
- Place
- Jung-gu, Daegu, KR
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Solved
- Coordinates
- 35.8706, 128.5935 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 18 February 2003, 9:53 a.m.A fire was set on a train arriving at Jungangno station.
- 18 February 2003The fire spread to a second train; 192 people died.
- 2003The perpetrator received a life sentence; two drivers were jailed for negligence.
- 31 August 2004The perpetrator died of illness in prison.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Daegu subway fire en.wikipedia.org ↗
- History.com — Arsonist sets fire in South Korean subway history.com ↗
- Wikipedia (EN)
- History.com
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.