| A firefighter pours water into the burnt-out store in the middle of the Euljiro 4-ga area in Jung-gu, Seoul, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk |
| The fire occurred in the hardware store-concentrated neighborhood on Thursday afternoon. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk |
| A bystander watches the massive clean-up. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk |
Fire out at a hardware store in Seoul's central Euljiro neighborhood Thursday caused traffic congestion in one of the oldest towns in the capital city. No casualties were reported.
The fire started about 12:35 p.m. in the store on the first floor of a two-story building in Euljiro 4-ga.
No one was injured, but the blaze spread to several nearby shops and thick smoke caused further congestion in the cramped streets.
| A fireman takes a drink break at the fire scene. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk |
| A policeman watches over congested traffic near the fire scene. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
About a dozen people managed to escape the area.
Authorities believe a spark from cutting acrylic panels caused the blaze and are investigating. (Yonhap)