South Korea Coupang warehouse fire burns for over 52 hours

SEOUL, July 20 (Reuters) - A fire at a logistics centre for e-commerce firm Coupang serving the Seoul metropolitan area blazed for more than 52 hours, with authorities ordering nearby businesses and factories to evacuate over concerns that parts of the building could collapse.

The fire broke out at around 6:54 a.m. on Saturday (2154 GMT Friday) on the sixth floor of Coupang's No. 32 logistics or fulfilment centre in Incheon, west of Seoul, and spread to the seventh floor, according to fire authorities.

All workers inside the building were safely evacuated, Coupang said.

The cause of the fire has not been confirmed, but the fulfilment centre holds many flammables such as household products, paper boxes and vinyl packaging. Authorities plan an investigation after the blaze is fully extinguished.

Closed-circuit TV footage on Monday morning showed dozens of fire trucks and smoke still emanating from the building despite rain.

Late on Sunday, authorities issued an evacuation order for shops and factories within 116 metres (127 yards) of the warehouse's ramp area, citing a possible partial collapse of the building.

The facility, serving the Seoul metropolitan area, is a warehouse used to store goods Coupang purchases directly for its fast-delivery service. It has eight floors and a total floor area of about 299,000 square metres, equivalent to about 42 football fields.

Coupang Corp, South Korea's largest e-commerce firm and subsidiary of U.S.-based Coupang Inc CPNG.N, has not publicly quantified expected operational disruption or financial damage.

Coupang's 2025 fact sheet says it has 100-plus logistics centres in 30-plus regions in South Korea.

The head of Coupang Fulfilment Services, Jeong Jong-cheol, apologised in a statement on Saturday, saying the company would cooperate with authorities, support firefighting efforts and assist nearby residents. Coupang declined additional comment.