Blaze engulfs 33-storey South Korean tower block

Firefighters in South Korea are struggling to completely put out a fire at a 33-storey tower block in the southern South Korean city of Ulsan, local media said.

File photo Photo: RNZ / Claire Eastham-Farrelly

Hundreds were forced to evacuate and more than 80 people were sent to hospital for smoke inhalation.

The blaze reportedly started at about 23:00 local time (14:00 GMT) on Thursday and was spread by high winds.

On Friday morning, it had still not been completely extinguished.

The South Korean news agency said strong winds made it difficult to control the fire.

The fire broke out between the 8th and 12th floors of the Samhwan Art Nouveau commercial and residential building, which has about 120 households and shopping units.

One eyewitness told Yonhap news agency: “Suddenly, the fire came up. The windows were broken and the living room and bedroom lit up.”

Another told YTN News of “exterior material”, possibly insulation, attached to the outside of the building that caused the fire to spread quickly.

Authorities have not confirmed what caused the fire.

– BBC