At around 4:37 PM on the 3rd, a fire broke out in a commercial building in Yatap-dong, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi Province, prompting the fire authorities to respond. It is reported that there are people inside who have not evacuated, raising concerns about casualties.
The Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters announced that a fire occurred in a complex commercial building with 5 basement floors and 8 above-ground floors located in Yatap-dong, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi Province.
The fire department responded to a 119 report that a fire had broken out in the kitchen of a restaurant on the first floor of the building. Due to concerns about multiple casualties, they issued a Level 2 response at 4:43 PM and deployed 41 pieces of equipment and 103 firefighters to extinguish the fire.
So far, no casualties have been confirmed, but it has been confirmed that many people are trapped inside the building. A fire official said, "It appears that there are people on the rooftop." The exact number of people has not been confirmed.
The fire authorities are using loudspeakers to guide evacuation while also devising emergency escape plans for those trapped.
Seongnam City sent a disaster alert text message around 5 PM stating, "At 16:37 today, smoke is occurring due to a fire at 367-1 Yatap-dong, Seongnam-si (BYC Building). Vehicles should detour around the surrounding roads, and please be cautious of safety due to smoke inhalation."
The fire authorities plan to investigate the detailed cause of the fire once the flames are extinguished.
The building where the fire broke out has parking lots, fitness facilities, and restaurants on basement floors 1 to 5, and sales facilities, neighborhood living facilities, clinics, and retail stores on floors 1 to 8 above ground. The total floor area is about 25,000 square meters. The building was approved for use in July 2005 and is 20 years old this year.
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