Fire Breaks Out at Tongyeong Apartment at Midnight ... Man in His 70s Seriously Injured

A fire broke out in a third-floor unit of a five-story apartment building in Bongpyeong-dong, Tongyeong City, Gyeongnam. Photo by Gyeongnam Fire Headquarters

At around 1:02 a.m. on the 31st, a fire broke out on the third floor of a five-story apartment building in Bongpyeong-dong, Tongyeong-si, Gyeongnam.

According to the Gyeongnam Fire Department, 20 residents evacuated on their own after the fire broke out in the middle of the night, and 6 others escaped with the help of the fire authorities.

Among them, a man in his 70s, referred to as Mr. A, who lived in the unit where the fire started, suffered second-degree burns on his hand and thigh, and three others, including residents of the fourth and fifth floors, were taken to the hospital after inhaling smoke.

Mr. A was found unconscious on the balcony next to the kitchen.

The fire was extinguished by firefighters who responded to the scene, about 30 minutes after it started, at around 1:39 a.m.

The fire damaged the entire 52.83-square-meter area of the third floor, part of the second floor, and household appliances and furniture inside the unit, resulting in property damage estimated at around 11 million won by the fire department.

The police and fire authorities are investigating the exact cause of the fire through a joint inspection.

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