▲ Firefighters extinguish lingering fires following a blaze at a building in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the 20th.
Fires broke out consecutively at two buildings located in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, today (the 20th), leading police to investigate the incidents as suspected arson.
According to firefighting authorities, a fire broke out at around 11:54 a.m. today on the 3rd floor of Shinmyeong Building in Yeoksam-dong, leaving one person in cardiac arrest who was subsequently transported to a hospital, while 10 others sustained injuries.
About 60 people inside the building evacuated on their own.
Another fire broke out at around 12:01 p.m. on the 4th floor of Hanyang Building, located 200 meters away in a straight line, injuring eight people.
Among the eight, three showed severe respiratory distress, while the remaining five sustained minor injuries.
The patients were transported to nearby hospitals, including Hanyang University Hospital, Gangnam Severance Hospital, and Chung-Ang University Hospital.
Both offices where the fires started were identified as patent law offices.
Police have launched an investigation, focusing on the possibility of arson and tracking the suspect's movements.
Responding to a report that someone had set the fire, firefighting authorities issued a Level 1 response and mobilized 115 personnel and 56 pieces of equipment to extinguish the blaze.
The fire at Shinmyeong Building was partially extinguished at around 1:12 p.m., while the fire at Hanyang Building was completely put out at around 12:35 p.m.
Police restricted traffic on Yeoksam-ro from Woosung Apartment Intersection to Startup Street Intersection to facilitate firefighting operations.
Witnesses reported that small flames or smoke from both fires rapidly escalated into major blazes.
One citizen stated, "The flames starting from the 3rd floor of Shinmyeong Building quickly shattered the glass and spread to the upper floors."
A witness to the Hanyang Building fire also explained, "Smoke surged up as if a battery had exploded in the pantry, and within seconds of trying to evacuate, black smoke billowed heavily. As I tried to head toward the entrance, there was too much smoke, so I broke a window and came out."
Some citizens inside the building were seen escaping through 3th-floor windows to avoid the fire, using ladders set up by firefighters.
Some citizens used golf clubs to break glass windows to look outside before returning inside.
A fire official held a briefing near the scene and stated, "So far, it has been confirmed that the two fires are unrelated, but the final investigation results will be announced after police investigation. We have confirmed that the fires originated inside the buildings."
The official added, "One of the two severely injured people was transported to the hospital while receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and another severely injured person suffered severe burns to the face and was transferred to a specialized burn hospital."
Police plan to verify the exact cause of the fires and whether the sprinkler systems operated properly.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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