1953 Busan station fire

Fire in Busan, South Korea 1953년 부산 역전대화재 직후 화재 감식차 살펴보는 군인들.jpg-2.jpg Soldiers inspecting damage just after the fire 1953 11 27 1953 11 28 8:20 p.m. KST 14 hours Busan, South Korea 3,132 houses destroyed, major buildings in the downtown area destroyed, total damages of 200 billion hwan 30,000 The 1953 Busan station fire (부산역전 대화재 釜山驛前大火災) was a major fire on November 27, 1953, in the vicinity of the old Busan station in Busan, South Korea.ko:부산역전 대화재(釜山驛前大火災) - 부산역사문화대전 https://busan.grandculture.net/Contents?local=busan&dataType=01&contents_id=GC04200974 2024-11-23 Encyclopedia of Korean Local Culture Background Before the 1950–1953 Korean War, Busan's infrastructure could accommodate around 300,000 people. However, during the war the population surged to around 1,000,000 due to the arrival of war refugees. The refugees set up numerous shanty towns in the city. These settlements often had poor access to water and utilities, and were often highly flammable. A number of fires broke out in these settlements. The refugee population did not decrease even after the July 1953 signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement, which froze the conflict. Even more people entered the city and settled in these impromptu settlements. Fire Around 8:20 p.m. on November 27, 1953, a fireplace fire in a room belonging to Heo Do-yeong (허도영 許道榮 no), in Yeongju-dong ko 영주동 (부산) began spreading. Due to strong winds, the fire traveled quickly, and came to affect around 1,250 houses and major buildings in the downtown area, centered around Busan station. The fire raged for around 14 hours, and was only completely extinguished by 10:20 a.m. the following morning. Aftermath The fire destroyed 3,132 houses, caused 29 deaths, and displaced around 30,000 people in 6,000 households. The damages cost around 200 billion hwan.ko:69년 전 부산역전 대화재 때 받은 위트컴 장군 은혜 갚을 차례 https://www.kookje.co.kr/news2011/asp/newsbody.asp?code=0300&key=20221128.99099008459 2024-11-23 The Kookje Daily News The fire destroyed the old Busan station building; the current Busan station was constructed in a different spot in 1968. The city government organized relief efforts, and relocated displaced people elsewhere. The government also worked on constructing more permanent housing and demolishing other shanty towns. United Nations Command soldiers in the city, under general Richard S. Whitcomb, distributed their own supplies for the refugees, and ended up assisting 23,100 people. Its engineers worked to clear the burned remains and construct temporary facilities for the displaced people.Choe Chong-dae 2019-11-25 Tribute to Whitcomb https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2024/11/137_279273.html 2024-11-23 The Korea Times en Whitcomb ordered the distribution in violation of U.S. military law; for this he was summoned to the U.S. Much of what was destroyed was not reconstructed promptly. Legacy There is a memorial at Exit 12 of Jungang station to the fire. See also 1953 Gukje Market fire 1954 Busan Yongdusan fires References South Korea Category:1953 fires Category:Building and structure fires in South Korea Category:1953 in South Korea Category:Fires in Busan Category:Transport building and structure fires