Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-jung instructed authorities to do their utmost in extinguishing the fire and searching for casualties following a blaze at a hazardous materials storage warehouse in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, today (the 11th), the ministry announced.

Minister Yoon ordered, "Prioritize the safety of firefighters during the firefighting process," and added, "Police must thoroughly control the area surrounding the fire scene."

He went on to emphasize, "Local governments should strengthen safety notices for nearby residents and businesses, and take prompt measures to prevent damage from smoke diffusion and other related issues."

A report of a fire at a special logistics center in Tojin-ri, Cheongbuk-eup, Pyeongtaek, was received through an automatic fire speed-monitoring system at around 12:03 a.m. early this morning.

Fire authorities issued a national firefighting mobilization order at 3:39 a.m. to launch an all-out response. Deeming that the flames had subsided at around 5:16 a.m., they downgraded the Level 2 emergency response issued at the scene to Level 1.

No casualties have been confirmed so far.

(Photo provided by Gyeonggi Disaster and Safety Headquarters, Yonhap News)