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(LEAD) Busan shooting range blaze started in front of shooting booth: police
BUSAN, Nov. 30 (Yonhap) -- A tragic fire that engulfed an indoor shooting range in Busan on Nov. 14, killing 15 people, was started when flammable material in front of the range's No. 1 shooting booth exploded, police said Monday.
"We have tentatively concluded that the point of ignition was near the first shooting booth where flammable materials were piled up," said Kim Young-shik, the chief police investigator of the incident, at a press briefing.
"Flames, stray bullets or splinters ignited by a gunshot are believed to have caused a spark that ignited the flammables like sound-proof sponges deep inside the shooting range and swept through the entire facility."
The fire in South Korea's second largest city also shocked Japan. Ten of the victims were Japanese tourists who were at the shooting range as part of a sightseeing program.
Kim noted that the initial explosion was spotted by a closed circuit camera installed in front of the first shooting booth.
Police had initially said that the fire likely started from a sofa at a lounge near the entrance to the range.
Right after the incident, President Lee Myung-bak expressed condolences over the deaths of the Japanese tourists and promised to take measures to prevent the recurrence of a similar incident in the future.
Police said that they have sought arrest warrants for the owner and the manager of the shooting range on charges of homicide. They are accused of managing the facility poorly, eventually leading to the tragic incident, police investigators noted.
brk@yna.co.kr
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