SEOUL
A woman in her 40s was killed in a major fire as South Korean emergency crews were dealing with another incident just a day after tragedy struck at a concert on the outskirts of capital Seoul, according to local officials Sunday.
National news agency Yonhap cited firefighters in reporting that 33 other people were injured as the fire spread across two motels in western Seoul at around 21.30 local time (15.30 Turkish time) Saturday.
While it is understood that the blaze began in a parking lot, it was not immediately clear how.
A total of 90 people -- around half of who were Chinese tourists -- had been staying at the motels, and the one person who died was identified as a 43-year-old woman.
The injured list included 32 guests suffering from smoke inhalation and a firefighter who was being treated for a suspected concussion after being struck by a marble tile.
Public safety continues to be a highly sensitive topic in South Korea -- more than 300 people lost their lives in April’s Sewol ferry disaster, before a concert accident claimed 16 more lives last Friday.
Among other high-profile incidents this year, there were ten fatalities and more than 100 people were injured when a building collapsed during a Busan University of Foreign Studies orientation event.
As investigators now look into Saturday night’s motel fire in Seoul, the local media was focusing on claims from motel guests that they did not hear any alarms go off.
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