South Korea charges 5 with negligence for data center fire that destroyed 858 terabytes of data

ISTANBUL

South Korea said Wednesday that five people have been charged with professional negligence for a data center fire in the central city of Daejeon that destroyed 858 terabytes of data last month, according to the Korea JoongAng Daily, citing the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency.

Those charged include a National Information Resources Service (NIRS) official, one from a project management firm and three employees from construction companies.

The fire erupted when the uninterruptible power supply battery exploded while workers were disconnecting it to relocate it to the basement. The workers responsible for the relocation operation were deemed unqualified and the company illegally subcontracted the work to other companies, according to the police.

Workers also failed to follow safety protocols during the process, according to the investigation team.

The fire at the NIRS center has crippled the country's national data network, with online administrative services still not fully restored since the Sept. 26 incident.

Police also confirmed that the workers involved had no experience handling large-scale battery relocations, leading authorities to believe that the fire was caused by their inexperience and inadequate safety measures.

The exact cause of the fire is expected to be determined by late November.