Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/SEOUL: About 500 South Korean citizens were forced to flee their houses after a fire spread through a low-income neighborhood in southern part of Seoul and destroyed at least 60 houses.
South Korean officials said that firefighters brought the fire under control at Guryong village, adding there were no reports of wounds and deaths.
Shin Yong-ho, an official at the fire department said that rescue employees were continuing to search places affected by the fire but that it was believed that all citizens there had safely evacuated.
Seoul
Seoul is the capital of South Korea, a huge metropolis where high-tech subways, modern skyscrapers and pop culture meet palaces and street markets besides Buddhist temples. Notable attractions include a convention hall with a rooftop park; Gyeongbokgung Palace, which once had more than 7,000 rooms; futuristic Dongdaemun Design Plaza; and , site of ancient locust and pine trees, the Jogyesa Temple.
More than 800 firefighters, local police officers, and public employees were deployed to fight the flame and handle evacuations after a fire broke out.
Images from the scene showed firefighters working the flame under thick white smoke covering a village known for its dense rows of makeshift homes as helicopters sprayed water from above.
Shin said that it presumed that the fire began at one of the village’s houses made with plastic sheets and plywood. He also said that the cause of the fire was being investigated.
An official, Kim Ah-reum, at the Gangnam district office, said that around 500 people have evacuated to nearby facilities, including a school gym. Officials were planning to later move the citizens to nearby hotels.
