A fire occurred at the construction site of an apartment complex in Suwon, south of Seoul on Monday, claiming one life and injuring 14 people, firefighters said.


The blaze, which occurred at around 2:46 p.m., is presumed to have started by welding being done by construction workers at the site, they said.

An unidentified man was found dead and 12 workers were taken to hospitals for smoke inhalation. Two firefighters sustained fire burns during rescue work.

It took almost three hours to contain the fire with 57 pieces of fire-fighting equipment including six helicopters, and about 120 firefighters mobilized.

As black fumes shrouded the site, some residents in nearby apartments were evacuated for safety, they said.

Police and firefighters are investigating the cause of the fire.

The fire occurred days after a big blaze engulfed an eight-story fitness center building in the central city of Jecheon last week, leaving 29 people dead and 29 others injured. (Yonhap)