Two people died and five others were injured after a fire broke out at a 20-story apartment building in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, on Thursday, fire authorities said.
The blaze started at around 10:30 a.m. inside a unit on the 14th floor of the apartment building in Naeson-dong and was put out at about 12:35 p.m., more than two hours later.
A man in his 60s who lived in the unit fell to the ground for unknown reasons at the time of the fire and was pronounced dead, according to authorities.
His wife, also in her 60s, was later found dead inside the 14th-floor unit by emergency workers during rescue operations.
Five other residents suffered minor injuries, including smoke inhalation. Two were taken to a hospital for treatment, while the other three were not transported because their injuries were minor.
A total of eight people evacuated the building. Fire authorities said they were still checking for any additional casualties.
Authorities issued a Level 1 response amid concerns about possible multiple casualties and deployed 110 personnel and 37 pieces of equipment to the scene.
A Level 1 response mobilizes personnel and equipment from up to four nearby fire stations. The alert can be raised to Level 2 or 3 depending on the scale of the fire and damage.
A large plume of black smoke rose from the building at one point, prompting multiple calls to 119.
Uiwang city sent a safety alert to residents, advising those near the apartment in Naeson-dong to stay cautious.
Police and fire authorities plan to investigate the exact cause of the fire and extent of damage after finishing cleanup work at the scene.
hnpark@heraldcorp.com
