A fire broke out at a seven-story mixed-use building in Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, injuring 10 people including foreign nationals.
According to fire authorities on the 14th, the blaze started at approximately 6:10 p.m. on the third floor of a guesthouse located in the building in Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul. The building has one basement level and seven above-ground floors, with the third, sixth, and seventh floors operating as a guesthouse.
The fire has left three people with serious injuries and seven with minor injuries. The three seriously injured—a man in his 50s, a woman in her 20s, and a woman in her 50s—were transported to nearby hospitals. The remaining seven were moved to temporary medical stations and shelters set up in the lobby of a hotel across the street and at the Sogong-dong Community Service Center. Eight of the injured are reported to be foreign nationals.
Firefighters arrived at the scene within four minutes of receiving the emergency call and issued a Level 1 response at 6:36 p.m., 26 minutes later. Fire and police authorities have deployed 295 personnel and 48 pieces of equipment to the scene, focusing on extinguishing the fire and searching for additional victims.
Jung-gu District issued a safety alert notifying residents of the fire, urging them to "be cautious of smoke inhalation as large amounts of smoke are being generated, and to use alternate routes." Traffic is currently restricted on Sejong-daero 18-gil between City Hall Intersection and Namdaemun-ro 7-gil, as well as on Sogong-ro between Daehanmun and Sogong Building via Namdaemun-ro 7-gil.
Upon learning of the incident, Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-joong instructed: "All relevant agencies including the National Fire Agency, National Police Agency, Seoul Metropolitan Government, and Jung-gu District must mobilize all available personnel and equipment to focus fully on rescue operations and fire suppression." He added, "Ensure no safety accidents occur among firefighters during suppression operations, and police must maintain complete control of the area surrounding the fire scene."
