In a tragic incident that resulted in the deaths of four people and injuries to five others during a forest fire in Sancheong, South Korea, police have charged three public officials with involuntary manslaughter. These officials were responsible for the management of firefighting personnel during the emergency response. Following their investigation, the police reported that the accused failed to adequately review critical weather and fire spread data and neglected proper safety training and equipment checks, leading to the deployment of personnel into dangerous conditions that resulted in casualties.

The Sancheong forest fire broke out on March 21 last year and escalated rapidly, prompting Gyeongnam Province to declare a level three readiness for firefighting operations. As part of their response, officials established an integrated command center directed by the provincial governor and mobilized over 200 firefighting personnel from various cities to combat the blaze. The three officials charged oversaw the deployment of these firefighters, who comprised one member from Changnyeong County and eight firefighters amongst the victims. Unfortunately, on March 22, while attempting to approach the fire, all nine individuals became trapped and suffered fatal or severe injuries.

In light of these developments, the chief of the Gyeongnam Police's criminal investigation unit stated that the three officials have criminal responsibility for the harm caused to the victims. He further highlighted the need for improvements in forest fire response expertise, disaster communication networks, and safety equipment for firefighting personnel. Meanwhile, Gyeongnam Province has publicly contested the decision to criminally charge officials involved in disaster management, arguing that such actions are unjust, especially when performance during emergency firefighting operations is often a complex and high-pressure undertaking.