There was much handwringing about lapses in a country with one of the worst traffic and industrial safety records of any advanced economy as the government declared Taegu a special disaster zone eligible for tax breaks and state aid.
The Korea Times lamented an "absolute lack of safety education" for people in emergencies, like the estimated 400 people aboard the trains, each with six carriages in which almost everything was melted by the intense heat.
"The passengers could not do anything except panic with no one attempting to use the fire extinguishers placed under the seat," it said.
Other newspapers raised questions about the speed at which materials on the trains burst into flames and an apparent lack of communication equipment and alarms -- some of the many safety issues likely to come up after the disaster.
Rescue official Lee Hyong-kyun said the fire ignited seats and floor tiles. "There would have been hardly any time to escape," he said.
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