Home > National > Social Affairs

Two dead, 13 injured in apartment blaze in western Seoul

Published: 17 Aug. 2025, 12:32 Updated: 17 Aug. 2025, 16:08

Fire breaks out at an apartment building in Changjeon-dong, Mapo District, in western Seoul, on Aug. 17. [YONHAP]

A fire broke out at an apartment complex in Mapo District, western Seoul, leaving two people dead and 13 injured. Fire authorities issued a Level 1 response and dispatched crews to contain the blaze.

The fire occurred at around 8:11 a.m. Sunday at an apartment in Changjeon-dong, Mapo District. It is believed to have started on the 14th floor.

The fire department issued a Level 1 response at 8:16 a.m. and deployed 252 personnel, including firefighters and officials from relevant district offices, along with 79 vehicles. The fire was brought under control at around 9:57 a.m.

Two people died and 13 others were injured. The injured included both those with severe burns and others suffering from minor injuries such as smoke inhalation. A total of 89 residents evacuated the building.

The two who died — a woman in her 60s and her son in his 20s — were found in the same unit where the fire is believed to have originated. The woman’s husband sustained burns to his back and was taken to a hospital.

Firefighters put out a fire that started out at an apartment building in Changjeon-dong, Mapo District in western Seoul, on Aug. 17. [YONHAP]

Most residents in the same building evacuated to the rooftop or ground level immediately after the fire began. Several people who inhaled smoke were rescued by firefighters.

Three people lived in the unit where the fire started. Among them, one was found dead, while another was transported to the hospital while receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The rest of the injured were either moved to hospitals or treated at the scene.

The apartment complex, built in 1998, consists of 950 units. The 14th floor, where the fire broke out, was not equipped with a sprinkler system. Under building regulations at the time, sprinklers were only required for floors above the 15th.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire and the extent of the damage.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY BAE JAE-SUNG [[email protected]]