A fire that broke out at a commercial building in Bukchang-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, was fully extinguished after approximately three hours and 30 minutes.
According to fire authorities, a report of gray smoke coming from a second-floor restaurant in Bukchang-dong was received at around 6:22 p.m. on the 26th. Firefighters deployed 96 personnel and 42 pieces of equipment to combat the blaze, bringing the main fire under control by 9:15 p.m. and fully extinguishing it by 9:51 p.m.
The affected building is over 90 years old and features a wooden interior structure. The brick-block exterior walls made interior access difficult, forcing firefighters to spray water from outside. An excavator was later brought in to demolish part of the second-floor exterior wall to complete the suppression effort.
"We deployed an excavator to break through the second-floor exterior wall to fully suppress the fire," Myung No-sun, head of the fire administration division at Jungbu Fire Station, explained during an on-site briefing at around 9:30 p.m.
No casualties were reported. All 25 customers and 6 employees inside the building are believed to have evacuated safely.
The fire, which occurred in the heart of downtown Seoul during rush hour, caused temporary chaos in the area. Thick smoke blanketed the surroundings, and traffic congestion resulted from partial lane closures on Sejong-daero between Sungnyemun Gate and City Hall. Jung-gu District Office issued emergency alerts advising residents to avoid smoke inhalation and use alternate routes.
Fire authorities are investigating the exact cause and extent of the damage.