Paju blaze kills woman, 6-year-old son rescued by neighbor

(Herald DB)

A blaze that occurred late Wednesday in a multiunit residential building in Paju, Gyeonggi Province left a woman in her 30s dead, while her six-year-old son was rescued by their neighbor.

According to the Paju Police Station, the fire is believed to have started at around 11:30 p.m. at a unit on the first floor of the building. A neighbor saw smoke and helped bring the boy who was inside to safety, but was unable to rescue his mother.

The child is currently being looked after by another family in the building. The husband of the victim was not at home at the time of the fire.

The fire left an estimated 10 million won ($7,400) in property damage, before being extinguished on its own 25 minutes after it started.

Authorities are investigating to determine the exact cause of the fire. A burnt charcoal briquette was found inside the master bedroom, thought to be the origin of the fire.

Police officials said they will conduct an autopsy on the victim's body to determine the exact cause of death.

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