Fire in Miryan hospital leaves 41 dead and 80 injured
The flames broke out at 7.30 am on the first floor of the building. Nine wounded are in serious condition. President Moon Jae-in calls advisors and orders immediate investigations.
Seoul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - At least 41 people have been killed and 80 injured in a violent fire that hit the Sejong hospital in Miryan, in the south of the country. It's the worst accident in the last 15 years. The fire broke out around 7.30 am in the first-aid emergency room, and was turned off three hours later. According to the authorities, the flames did not spread beyond the first floor.
The 41 victims have not yet been identified. The cause of death seems to be the inhalation of toxic gases. The death toll rose during the morning, as several victims died after they were rescued, some during their transport to nearby hospitals. It is possible that the toll will rise further in the next hours: nine wounded are in serious condition.
A total of 111 patients and hospital staff were transferred to six nearby hospitals, along with 94 guests from the retirement home next to the hospital's main building, a six-story facility.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in ordered an emergency meeting with his advisers and immediate investigations to find out the cause of the fire.
Last month, 29 people were killed in a fire that broke out in a gym in Jecheon, in the south. In that case, the fault of the disaster was attributed to insufficient emergency exits, flammable coating materials and illegally parked cars that blocked the passage to emergency vehicles. Today’s is the worst incident since 2003, when an incendiary attack burned a Daegu subway station in the south-east of the country, killing 192 people.
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