One dead in early morning fire at Suwon motel

A fire broke out at a motel in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on Monday, killing one person among approximately 10 guests present at the time.

According to fire authorities, the blaze began at around 4:02 a.m. on the third floor of a five-story motel in Suwon’s Jangan District. A guest in the room where the fire originated was found dead. 

The other guests, who were staying in separate rooms, were either rescued by firefighters or managed to escape on their own.

Authorities issued a Level 1 emergency response over concerns that people could be trapped inside. The fire was fully extinguished about an hour later, at 5:03 a.m.  

Fire authorities said the building’s automatic fire detection system functioned normally during the fire. However, the building was not required to have a sprinkler system installed under current regulations.

An investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY LEE JI-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]