A fire that broke out in Guryong Village, an unauthorized shantytown in Seoul's Gangnam district often called the area's last, was fully extinguished after about 13 hours. One resident was injured and 107 people were displaced.
The blaze began in District 2 of Guryong Village at about 3:50 p.m. the previous day and was completely put out at about 4:39 a.m. on the 28th, fire authorities said. It burned for 12 hours and 49 minutes.
Firefighters brought the main flames under control at about 2:21 a.m. and continued working to extinguish remaining embers. The Level 1 response was lifted after the fire was fully out.
A woman in her 30s suffered a minor leg injury and was taken to a hospital. No additional casualties or missing persons have been confirmed.
Thirty-nine residents evacuated on their own after the fire started. A total of 77 households and 107 people across Districts 1, 2 and 3 were left displaced.
Gangnam district office set up temporary shelters at the gymnasiums of Gaepo Middle School and Guryong Middle School and at nearby hotels.
About 940 personnel from the fire service, police and the district office were mobilized for the firefighting operation. More than 140 pieces of equipment, including six helicopters, were deployed, but strong winds and a shortage of firefighting water made it difficult to contain the flames.
The fire, which started in District 2, spread to Districts 1 and 3 on strong winds and expanded to the vicinity of District 7. Flames also spread toward adjacent Mount Guryong but have all been extinguished.
Fire authorities issued a Level 1 response at about 3:59 p.m. the previous day. As the fire spread rapidly, they raised it to Level 2 at 4:29 p.m. and issued a national fire mobilization order at 5:47 p.m. to secure additional personnel and equipment.
At about 10:05 p.m. the same day, authorities lowered the response to Level 1, judging that the fire was no longer spreading.
Nearby residents said they heard sounds resembling gas cylinders exploding several times during the fire. Witnesses also described smoke so thick that it was hard to breathe.
The exact cause of the fire has not been determined. Fire authorities said nothing has been established so far regarding the possibility of arson.
"The exact cause of the fire will be known after a joint forensic examination with police is completed," a fire official said. "We plan to conduct the joint examination after monitoring the situation following full containment."
Guryong Village is an unauthorized shantytown formed by people evicted during the development of the Gangnam area in the 1970s and 1980s. Homes built from flammable materials such as vinyl sheeting and plywood are packed closely together, making the area highly vulnerable to fire.
A fire also broke out in District 4 of Guryong Village on Jan. 16 this year, forcing 258 residents to evacuate.