At around 4:37 PM on the 3rd, a fire broke out in the BYC Building, a complex commercial building with 5 basement floors and 8 above-ground floors located in Yatap-dong, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi Province. More than 300 people were either rescued or evacuated on their own. The fire started in the kitchen of a restaurant on the first floor of the building and is believed to have spread through the exhaust duct.
After receiving reports that many people were inside the building and fearing casualties, the fire authorities proactively issued a Level 2 response at 4:43 PM. They deployed 84 pieces of equipment and 268 personnel to extinguish the fire, achieving initial control by 5:17 PM and completely putting out the fire by around 6:01 PM, about 1 hour and 10 minutes after the fire started.
On the 3rd, firefighters were deployed for a search and rescue operation at the site of a fire in a complex building in Yatap-dong, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Yonhap News
As of 6:30 PM, the fire authorities are maintaining a Level 1 response while continuing to search inside the building. They have conducted four previous searches but are continuing to look for any potentially trapped or injured individuals.
The fire authorities reported that they have rescued about 240 people so far, and about 70 people evacuated on their own. Those rescued were dispersed across various locations: 150 on the rooftop, 20 on the 6th floor (office facilities), 20 on the 5th floor (office facilities), 20 on the 1st basement floor (swimming pool), and 30 on the 5th basement floor (parking lot). The self-evacuated individuals escaped by walking outside the building or by other means.
The total number of injured is about 130, all classified as minor injuries caused by simple smoke inhalation. There have been no reports of serious injuries. Among them, 26 people were transported to four hospitals, including Bundang Jesaeng Hospital.
Since the fire authorities are still conducting search operations, the final extent of the damage is expected to be known later.
The building where the fire occurred has a total floor area of about 25,000 square meters, with 5 basement floors and 8 above-ground floors. It was approved for use in July 2005, making it 20 years old this year. It houses various facilities such as restaurants, retail stores, shops, a swimming pool, and a parking lot, making it a place with many visitors on a regular basis.
A police official at the scene said, "Those rescued are injured due to smoke inhalation, and there have been no reports of serious injuries so far," adding, "The building manager appears to have taken appropriate emergency measures by guiding people to evacuate to the basement."
A fire department official stated, "The condition of about 150 people at the on-site emergency medical center is stable," and added, "Although the fire has been completely extinguished, we are conducting a thorough search for people in case of any unforeseen situations."
The fire authorities plan to investigate the detailed cause of the fire once the recovery operations are fully completed.
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