Fire breaks out in Seoul's Gangnam district

[irisblue]

Source: Reuters

snip-"SEOUL, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Nearly 300 South Korean firefighters were battling a major fire on Friday in a deprived area of the upmarket Gangnam district of southern Seoul, a fire official said.
No casualties have been reported, but 47 residents of Guryong Village were evacuated, an official at the Seoul Metropolitan Fire & Disaster Headquarters said by telephone. About 110 people were living in the affected area, Yonhap News reported, citing fire officials."

snip-"Photographs from the scene showed a towering column of black smoke hanging over the area, as elderly residents wearing face masks evacuated."
snip-"The makeshift homes are often densely packed together and built with highly flammable materials like vinyl sheets, plywood, and Styrofoam, making the area particularly vulnerable to fires, according to an assessment by the fire department after a blaze in 2023."


more there



Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/major-fire-breaks-out-slum-area-south-koreas-gangnam-district-yonhap-reports-2026-01-16/

[James48]

1. That's scary

I have spent some time in Korea. They have rapidly built many new areas, but there are still many buildings of old building codes and design features we would not expect here. It’s really only been in the last decade or two that much better building standards are being incorporated. I can imagine a fire in a crowded area like that market.

[irisblue]

2. Update-Major blaze extinguished in deprived area of South Korea's Gangnam district

From reuters
https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/major-fire-breaks-out-slum-area-south-koreas-gangnam-district-yonhap-reports-2026-01-16/


snip-"SEOUL, Jan 16 (Reuters) - A major fire that broke out early on Friday in a deprived area of the upmarket Gangnam district of Seoul was brought under control and fully extinguished about eight hours later, a fire official said.
"We are relieved that we were able to extinguish the fire without any casualties," the official said in a statement from the National Fire Agency."

more there.