Mother and son found dead during apartment fire in Seoul

Two people died in an apartment fire in Gangseo District, western Seoul, on Tuesday.

The blaze broke out inside a unit on the 15th floor of a building in Gayang-dong at around 4:55 p.m., according to fire authorities. Two were found in cardiac arrest in a flower bed by the first-floor entrance and later died.

The victims were identified as a woman with a brain lesion disability and a man, a mother and son. Both were residents of the unit where the fire started. 

Fire authorities deployed 25 pieces of equipment and 87 personnel. They brought the fire mostly under control by 5:19 p.m. and fully extinguished it by 6:08 p.m. The unit where it started was completely destroyed.

About 40 residents evacuated on their own during the fire.

A woman living in the unit next door was taken to the hospital after inhaling smoke.

Police and fire authorities plan to investigate the exact cause of the fire and the extent of the damage.

BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]