In Seoul, the capital of South Korea, a fire broke out in a shanty neighborhood, forcing hundreds of people to flee the area.
The Guryong Village fire that broke out early on Friday morning January 20, is said to have damaged about 60 homes.
There have been no reports of deaths or injuries.
The area of closely packed makeshift homes has been described as the last remaining slum in South Korea capital.
It took more than 900 firefighters and several helicopters five hours to put out the blaze.
“Right after I opened the door, I saw a pillar of fire rising from one side,” a 72-year-old resident told reporters.
“It looks really serious and I shouldn’t escape alone. So, I banged on the doors and shouted ‘Fire!’ And people came out and screamed. It was chaotic.”
Guryong Village is on the edge of the affluent Gangnam district, which has some of the country’s most expensive real-estate.
According to the spokesperson for President Yoon Suk-yeol who is currently in Switzerland for the World Economic Forum summit at Davos, he has called for all-out efforts to minimise the damage and mobilise all available firefighters and equipment.
Although the specific cause of the fire is still unknown, the region has a history of fires and floods, and many of the dwellings there were constructed of cardboard and wood. Guryong Village has had at least 16 fires since 2009, according to the reports.
It was formed in the 1980s by people evicted from their native neighborhoods due to redevelopment initiatives carried out by the military administration of the time, but attempts to develop the area have been hindered by conflicts between local authorities and residents.
Author-Roberta Appiah
