Seoul, Jan 3 (IANS) A fire broke out at a store building in Bundang, south of Seoul, on Friday, prompting over 300 people within the facility to evacuate, according to authorities. No serious injuries were reported.
The fire began at 4:37 pm at an eight-story building in Yatap-dong in the Bundang district of the city of Seongnam. The blaze was fully extinguished in about an hour.
The blaze is believed to have started in the kitchen of a restaurant located on the first floor of the building and spread through the exhaust duct.
Fire authorities said they have rescued over 240 people, while around 70 others have evacuated on their own.
About 130 people reported minor injuries caused by smoke inhalation. No serious injuries have been reported, Yonhap news agency reported.
Last month, a fire broke out at a hall of the National Assembly in western Seoul, forcing nearly 500 people to evacuate.
The fire incident took place at the reception hall of the National Assembly compound in Yeouido, which housed a pressroom and a wedding hall. Around 480 people, including reporters and wedding guests, were evacuated.
Last year, in one of the worst chemical plant accidents in the country, 23 people were killed after a fire at a lithium battery plant in Hwaseong, south of Seoul.
All deceased victims were found on the second floor of the plant, where the fire first started, while they were inspecting and packaging finished battery products.
Seventeen of the victims were Chinese, while five were Koreans, and one was Laotian.
Police had also booked the head of the battery firm and four others for investigation on charges related to the deadly accident, including professional negligence resulting in deaths and injuries.
Overseas travel bans were also imposed on all of them as police investigated who should be held accountable for the disaster.
Lithium is considered a relatively stable material, requiring no specific legal regulations for its handling in South Korea.
Lithium, however, can cause sparks if it comes into contact with rusted iron in the presence of flammable gas in the air, necessitating storage in a separate, dry space.
–IANS
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