At least 29 people have died in a fire at an eight-story building in Jecheon in South Korea’s North Chungcheong province, according to an official from the North Chungcheong Fire Service. Authorities said the death toll could go higher.
The fire began at 3:53 p.m. on Thursday. It is suspected to have started in a parked vehicle in the ground floor of the building and then spread to the whole structure, the official said. It is customary in South Korea that officials do not give their names.
Firefighters rescued more than 20 people who had fled to the building’s rooftop. The structure included gyms, public baths and restaurants, the official said.