Seoul [South Korea], January 20: South Korean fire officials said that about 500 people were evacuated from their homes this morning due to a fire in the village of Guryong, the last remaining slum in the capital Seoul.
Fire officials added that the fire broke out at 6:28 a.m. (local time) in the fourth area of Guryong village, located in Gangnam ward of Seoul, and it was reported that about 60 houses had been burned down . according to Yonhap news agency.
Shin Yong-ho, a fire official with the Gangnam Fire Station, told reporters that so far no deaths or injuries have been reported. A total of 170 firefighters, 300 officials and 260 policemen were dispatched to the scene, Mr. Shin said.
Presidential spokesman Kim Eun-hye called for maximum efforts in mobilizing all available firefighters and equipment to ensure no casualties.
South Korean Interior Minister Lee Sang-min also ordered officials to prevent any secondary damage and protect residents living nearby, according to Yonhap.
Currently there are about 666 households living in Guryong village and most of the houses are structures fitted with plastic plywood panels.
Guryong Village is located in the southern part of Gangnam Ward, which has the most expensive real estate prices in Korea. The village was formed in the 1980s, when poor residents in the area were forced to leave their homes as the city carried out development projects, according to Yonhap.
Source: ThanhNien Newspaper
