Asia-Pacific
Fire destroys eight buildings in Itaewon district near Yongsan
Stars and Stripes
September 30, 2013
SEOUL — South Korean authorities said it could take two weeks to determine the cause of a fire that destroyed eight buildings Monday in Seoul’s Itaewon district, where a number of soldiers from nearby U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan live.
No injuries were reported, authorities said.
Official with the Itaewon Fire Station said firefighters received an emergency call at 7:16 a.m. reporting a fire in a three-story building near exit 1 of Itaewon Station.
Forty fire trucks and 139 firefighters responded to the blaze, which took more than an hour to extinguish. It destroyed 15 stores and restaurants in the popular Itaewon entertainment area; early estimates put damage at about $205,000, though a Yongsan official said it could climb higher.