In brief
The deadly incident occurred at a construction site for a luxury hotel in Busan, South Korea, where a fire, believed to have started in the swimming pool area, rapidly spread. Fire officials were alerted around 10:50 a.m. local time on Friday. Chief Hong Moon-sik of Gijang County reported that dark smoke engulfed the building as rescue teams arrived. Tragically, six individuals were found unconscious in the pool area, particularly impacted by the insulation material on fire that released dense black fumes, complicating evacuation efforts.
Emergency responders faced a challenging scene, with injuries reported throughout the building, which consists of 12 stories and three basements. Rescuers provided aid to 14 individuals trapped on the roof. By 1:30 p.m., firefighters had managed to bring the blaze under control, with over 120 fire trucks and hundreds of firefighters dispatched to the location.Chief Hong noted that the quick spread of the fire was a significant factor in the high casualties, and that the cause of the blaze is still under investigation. Owned by the Singaporean Banyan Group, the hotel was nearing completion and was set to open later this year. The company has yet to issue a comment regarding the incident. This tragic event is ongoing in its developments.
