Two firefighters were killed Sunday after being trapped in a pavilion in the city of Gangneung on South Korea's east coast that collapsed following a blaze, firefighting authorities said.
The two were extinguishing the fire at Seoknan Pavilion, one of the scenic spots around the city's Gyeongpo Lake, before the pavilion collapsed around 4:29 a.m. They were pronounced dead after being rushed to hospitals.
About 10 minutes after the building collapsed, the firefighters, a 59-year-old and 27-year-old both identified only by their last name Lee, were rescued but were in cardiac arrest.
The fire at the pavilion started around 3:51 a.m. after a fire had been extinguished at the structure the previous day, firefighters said. Built in 1956, the 10-meter-high wooden pavilion has a floor space of 40 square meters.
Police and firefighting authorities are investigating what caused the accident. (Yonhap)
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