Residents Evacuated to Rooftop Rescued by Helicopter
17 Firefighters Sustain Minor Injuries from Explosion
On the 19th, a fire broke out in the underground recycling collection area of a 23-story apartment building in Mokdong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, and the fire department has been extinguishing it for over 10 hours.
According to the fire authorities, at around 8:02 a.m. that day, a fire started in the recycling bin on the second basement floor, causing 113 residents of the apartment and others to evacuate. Among them, 35 people inhaled smoke but were not transported to the hospital.
At around 10:37 a.m., the authorities issued a Level 1 response, deploying all personnel from the local fire station, but due to difficulties entering the basement, it is taking time to control the flames. Fire Commissioner Nam Hwa-young arrived at the scene at around 4:05 p.m. and is directing the fire suppression efforts.
As the firefighting continued for a long time, the fire department deployed a fire helicopter around 6 p.m. to rescue some residents who had evacuated to the rooftop.
During the firefighting, an explosion occurred in a commercial area on the first floor above ground. Seventeen firefighters were lightly injured in the explosion, and among them, 11 were transported to the hospital.
The police and fire authorities plan to investigate the exact cause of the fire once the extinguishing operations are completed.
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