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At Least 36 Killed in South Korea Fire


Ambulances are parked outside a damaged warehouse which is currently under construction, after it caught fire, in Icheon, South Korea, April 29, 2020.
Ambulances are parked outside a damaged warehouse which is currently under construction, after it caught fire, in Icheon, South Korea, April 29, 2020.

Officials in South Korea say a fire at a construction site has killed at least 36 people and injured 10 others.

Fire Chief Seo Seung-hyeon told the Associated Press news agency that about 78 workers were believed to be in the four-story warehouse under construction in Icheon, about 80 kilometers southeast of Seoul.

The chief said emergency workers found 36 bodies and were still looking for at least one other person believed to be inside the building. He said eight of the 10 injured were in serious condition.

Seo said that investigators suspect the fire was caused by an explosion in an underground level, where some workers used urethane, a combustible chemical used for insulation work.

Dozens of fire engines were sent to control the flames. President Moon Jae-in urged his government to dedicate every available resource to the operation.

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