Fire at Dongdaemun Cheongnyangni Fruit and Vegetable Market Ahead of Chuseok Peak Season... 20 Stores Destroyed (Comprehensive)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] A large fire broke out at the traditional market in Dongdaemun, Seoul, ahead of Chuseok, destroying more than 20 stores and warehouses.

According to the Fire Department, a fire was reported at Cheongnyangni Fruit and Vegetable Market in Jegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, at around 4:32 a.m. on the 21st. Firefighters were dispatched, and as of 10 a.m., the main flames have been contained while extinguishing operations continue.

A total of 226 personnel, including 58 fire trucks, firefighters, and police officers, were dispatched to the scene.

The fire authorities initially issued a Level 2 response at around 4:54 a.m., about 20 minutes after the fire report was received, then downgraded it to Level 1 at 7:26 a.m. after the initial extinguishing efforts.

Due to the fire, 9 out of 67 stores in the Cheongnyangni traditional market, 10 out of approximately 150 stores in the adjacent fruit and vegetable market, and one warehouse?a total of 20 facilities?were destroyed. Among these, 7 were completely burned down. The Fire Department stated, "By around 7:26 a.m., the main flames were contained, and we are currently extinguishing the remaining embers. Since a large quantity of Chuseok holiday goods was stored, it is expected to take another one to two hours to fully extinguish the fire."

The fire started in a store within the traditional market and spread to the nearby fruit and vegetable market. Thanks to the activation of the fire alarm system, merchants were able to evacuate without casualties. The police and fire authorities are investigating the exact cause of the fire and the extent of the damage by interviewing the merchants.

At around 8:45 a.m., Jin Young, Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, who visited the scene, urged, "Since the fire occurred ahead of the Chuseok holiday, making it impossible to sell ritual items, please do your best to minimize the merchants' damage by installing temporary sales facilities and providing emergency business stabilization funds."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.