Main blaze of Seoul shantytown fire contained; no casualties reported
Summary
Firefighters contained the main blaze at Guryong Village in Seoul’s Gangnam district on Tuesday, more than seven hours after the fire broke out, and no casualties had been reported. The fire began at about 3:50 p.m. in a makeshift building, prompting 39 residents to flee. Strong winds carried the fire southward, while authorities arranged shelter for affected residents and deployed resources to fight the blaze.
Key Facts
- The Gangnam Ward office said 107 people from 77 households were affected and arranged shelter at a nearby school and gymnasium.
- Authorities deployed 232 personnel, 110 pieces of equipment and six firefighting helicopters.
- The fire began in the village’s second district, with the first, second and third districts suffering the most damage.
- Guryong Village has about 54 households across eight districts, and its homes are densely packed and built with combustible materials including insulation wadding and plywood.
- President Lee Jae Myung instructed officials to use all available resources and take steps to protect residents and firefighters.
Firefighters extinguish a fire at Guryong Village in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap
Firefighters on Tuesday put out the main blaze after a fire broke out at a shantytown in Seoul's posh southern district of Gangnam, officials said, and no casualties were reported.
The fire broke out at about 3:50 p.m. at a makeshift building in Guryong Village, prompting 39 residents to flee to safety, according to fire authorities.
Fire authorities issued a Level 1 emergency response at 3:59 p.m. and later raised the response level by one notch as the fire spread. But later it again lowered the response to Level 1.
The main blaze of the fire was contained over seven hours after the fire broke out, with authorities deploying 232 personnel and 110 pieces of equipment to battle the blaze.
No injuries or missing persons have been reported so far, officials said.
Flames and smoke rise from a fire at Guryong Village, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap
Authorities have guided the locals to a safe area and deployed six firefighting helicopters to prevent the blaze from spreading into a wildfire.
However, firefighters are facing challenges in putting out the blaze as the fire spreads southward, carried by strong winds, according to officials.
Authorities said the fire, which initially began in the second district of the village, was spreading wider to the south, with the first, second and third districts suffering the most damage.
The Gangnam Ward office said 107 people from 77 households were affected by the fire, noting they have arranged a shelter for the residents at a nearby school and gymnasium.
Guryong Village, the last standing shantytown in Seoul's posh southern district of Gangnam, is currently home to some 54 households across eight districts.
The village is made up of densely packed homes built with combustible materials, such as insulation wadding and plywood, making it vulnerable to the rapid spread of fires.
The previous fire at the village occurred in January, when 258 residents evacuated as a blaze broke out in the fourth district and spread to nearby areas.
President Lee Jae Myung instructed officials to deploy all available resources for the firefighting operation and make every effort to ensure the safety of residents.
Lee also ordered authorities to take measures to secure the safety of firefighters deployed to the scene, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said.
Volunteer firefighters move at Guryong Village in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap
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