Fierce fire in temporary housing in South Korea, hundreds of people displaced
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Firefighters brought the blaze in Seoul’s Guryeong Village under control after about five hours of hard work, officials said. There is no news of any casualties so far. In Seoul, Gangnam district fire department official Shin Yong-ho said rescuers were searching for people in the blaze-ravaged areas.
At least 60 houses were gutted in a huge fire that broke out in densely populated temporary housing near the capital of South Korea on Friday morning. Around 500 local people have been shifted to safer places. Firefighters brought the blaze in Seoul’s Guryeong Village under control after about five hours of hard work, officials said. There is no news of any casualties so far. In Seoul, Gangnam district fire department official Shin Yong-ho said rescuers were searching for people in the blaze-ravaged areas.
However, it is believed that all the people have been evacuated safely. The fire started at around 6:30 in the morning. Over 800 firefighters, police officers and other personnel were deployed to bring the fire under control and evacuate people to safety. Pictures from the scene showed firefighters trying to douse the flames in a village covered in thick smoke and spraying water from above using helicopters.
Shin Yong-ho said that it is estimated that a house made of ‘plastic sheet’ and wood (plywood) caught fire, which later spread to the rest of the houses in the village. He said that the exact cause of the fire is being ascertained. Kim Ah-reum, an official at the Gangnam district office, said about 500 people were housed in a nearby gym and a school.
Officials said most of them are expected to return home, but at least 45 people whose homes were completely destroyed or badly damaged will be temporarily staying in a hotel. About 60 houses were gutted in the fire. Kim Sung-han, a 66-year-old village resident, said, “How could this happen on the Lunar New Year holiday? ,
He was referring to the country’s biggest annual holiday, which begins over the weekend and will continue till Tuesday. “I had to run away from home only in these clothes, I couldn’t bring anything with me… I can’t even go to work when it’s already very difficult to survive here,” said Kim. Community leaders in the village Lee Woon-cheol, one of the residents, said that the local people had immediately informed about the fire. Firefighters went door-to-door searching for people and helped them out.
“Many accidents happen here because of short circuits,” Lee told news channel YTN. To do this, all available resources have been asked to be used. President Yol is currently on a trip to Switzerland for the World Economic Forum meetings in Davos.
Disclaimer:IndiaTheNews has not edited this news. This news has been published from PTI-language feed.
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