Over 500 people were evacuated on Friday when a fire broke out in a shanty village in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. At 6:27 a.m. (09:27 GMT), a fire broke out in Guryong Village, a southern Seoul neighbourhood with more than 660 households.
The fire officials informed that, 40 homes in the 1,700 square metre area have been destroyed. About 290 firefighters, 10 helicopters, and police officers have been sent to put out the fire. There were no casualties reported.
According to his spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye, President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is now attending the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, called for all-out efforts to reduce the damage and mobilise all available firemen and equipment.
The Ministry informed that, Interior Minister Lee Sang-min also gave instructions to staff to guard adjacent residents and prevent collateral damage.
The village, one of the last remaining slums, stands in contrast to the glitzy, affluent Gangnam district of Asia’s fourth-largest economy as a symbol of inequity.
With numerous dwellings constructed out of cardboard and wood, the region has also been vulnerable to fires, floods, and other natural calamities, exposing its population to safety and health risks.
A tug-of-war between landowners, citizens, and authorities that has lasted for decades has hindered the advancement of rehabilitation and relocation plans.
Mayor Oh Se-hoon visited the village and requested that plans be made to rehouse families who had been harmed by the fire.
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