By Yun Suh-young
A fire erupted at a construction site near Gyeongbok Palace in Gwanghwamun, Monday, killing four workers and injuring 18.
The fire first began three floors below ground level at the National Museum of Contemporary Art at around 11:20 a.m. Monday. The fire was extinguished after one hour and 20 minutes, but damaged the sub basement site.
The four construction workers who died were working underground and taken to hospital but died. Eighteen others who also breathed in smoke are being treated in the nearby hospital.
A crane worker was also severely injured after trying to escape the fire.
Fire investigators currently think that the fire erupted during a construction procedure involving urethane.
“The underground construction site was where flammable substances such as paint, urethane, and gas were often used,” said a firefighter.
“There were no fire extinguishing systems on site mainly because it was new. In the interior of the building, there were a lot of flammable materials including Styrofoam.”
About 160 firefighters and 30 fire trucks were deployed to the site.
Meanwhile, visitors at Gyeongbok Palace across the street were told to evacuate when black smoke spread across the sky, causing confusion in the region. Roads around the palace and Samcheong-dong region were closed for hours.