President Lee Jae-myung was briefed on a fire that broke out in Guryong Village in Seoul's Gangnam district on the 27th and ordered officials to "mobilize all available resources to put out the fire."
Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung announced the instructions in a notice to the media the same day. Lee also urged officials to "make every effort to rescue residents and ensure their safety," adding that "the safety of firefighters deployed to the scene must also be thoroughly protected."
The fire broke out around 3:49 p.m. in the Guryong Village area of Gangnam district's Gaepo-dong, according to fire authorities. About 10 minutes after receiving the report, authorities issued a Level 1 response at around 3:59 p.m. and began firefighting operations. The response was raised to Level 2 as of 4:29 p.m., with 210 firefighters deployed to contain the blaze.
The exact number of casualties and the scale of resident evacuations have not yet been confirmed. Fire authorities are assessing whether there has been additional damage while working to extinguish the fire.
As large amounts of toxic gas and smoke spread from the fire, the Gangnam district office sent out emergency disaster text messages, asking nearby residents to "close your windows as heavy smoke is being generated by the Guryong Village fire" and urging drivers in the area to take detours.