Lee Posts on Social Media About Euljiro Old Shopping Center Fire
"Hopes for Swift Containment to Prevent Accidents Among City Crowds"
Lee Jae Myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, on May 28 urged firefighting authorities to mobilize all available personnel and equipment to prevent the fire from spreading and to ensure there are no casualties, following a fire that broke out near Sewoon Shopping Center in Euljiro, Seoul. The fire was initially brought under control at around 8:20 p.m., approximately five hours after it started. Fire authorities plan to work through the night to fully extinguish the blaze.
On the afternoon of the same day, Lee posted on Facebook, stating, "A major fire has broken out at Sewoon Shopping Center in the heart of the city, and firefighting authorities are working to contain it."
He expressed concern about the large-scale fire and the potential for further damage, requesting that authorities proactively consider evacuating residents to prevent the flames from spreading to nearby areas. He also emphasized the importance of ensuring the safety of firefighters during the containment process, adding, "I hope the fire can be extinguished quickly to prevent any unfortunate incidents among the crowds in the city during rush hour."
According to fire authorities, a report was received at approximately 3:25 p.m. that day regarding a fire at an aging commercial building near Sewoon Daelim Shopping Center in Euljiro. As the fire spread to nearby stores, the fire department issued Response Level 1 at 3:59 p.m. and escalated to Response Level 2 at 4:37 p.m.
Later, at a field briefing held at 8:25 p.m., Kim Chunsu, head of administration at the Seoul Jungbu Fire Station, announced that the main fire had been brought under control at 8:20 p.m. Fire authorities will continue overnight operations to completely extinguish any remaining flames.
The fire department explained that the fire of unknown origin started inside the first floor of the aging commercial building. They stated that the dense concentration of narrow and deteriorated buildings in the area, along with the presence of large amounts of combustible materials, significantly prolonged firefighting efforts.
As a result of the fire, a man in his 70s on the third floor of the building suffered smoke inhalation and was transported to a nearby hospital. No other casualties have been confirmed as of now. It is reported that 48 stores were destroyed. The area where the fire occurred is slated for redevelopment, and of the 114 stores in the affected zone, approximately 40 are currently vacant.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
