A fire at a second-floor commercial building in Bukchang-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, was put out in about 3 hours and 30 minutes.
Fire authorities got the flames under control at about 9:15 p.m., then finished extinguishing the fire at about 9:51 p.m. They received a report at about 6:22 p.m. that gray smoke was coming from a restaurant, and deployed 96 firefighters and 42 pieces of equipment to fight the blaze.
Because the building that caught fire was an old structure that had been approved for use more than 90 years ago, fire authorities sprayed water from outside. They had difficulty bringing the flames under control, but were able to extinguish the fire after partially demolishing the upper floors with an excavator.
There were no casualties from the fire. Twenty-five customers and six employees in the building were reported to have evacuated.
Police and fire authorities plan to investigate the exact cause of the fire and the extent of property damage.
The fire broke out during rush hour in the heart of the city, causing confusion. At one point, thick smoke blanketed the area, and some lanes of Sejong-daero toward City Hall from Sungnyemun were closed, leading to traffic congestion. In response, the Jung District Office sent an emergency alert asking, "Pedestrians, be careful to avoid inhaling smoke, and drivers, please take detours."