On the first day of the Lunar New Year holiday, a fire broke out in a sauna inside a luxury apartment complex in Hannam-dong, Yongsan District, Seoul, prompting residents to evacuate.
At about 1:19 p.m. on the 14th, a fire started at the sauna facility at Hannam The Hill in Hannam-dong, Yongsan District, Seoul. Fire authorities, responding to a report, rescued five people from inside the building, and residents of 40 nearby households evacuated for safety. No casualties were reported.
Fire authorities deployed 105 personnel and 27 pieces of equipment to conduct firefighting operations and brought the main blaze under control at about 2:40 p.m., roughly an hour after the fire began.
Yongsan District Office sent an emergency disaster text message saying, "A large amount of hazardous smoke has occurred due to a fire at 810 Hannam-dong," and advised, "Nearby residents should take care to avoid respiratory illnesses caused by smoke inhalation."
Police and fire authorities plan to investigate the exact cause of the fire and the extent of the damage once mop-up operations are complete.