Fire kills 7 at South Koreas low cost housing
News & Trends •
the facility called goshiwon in korean is where poor workers relying on construction jobs or student preparing for bar exams or civil service exams stay in individual rooms with tiny sleep and study spaces1 a fire that likely blocked a crucial exit at a low-cost dormitory-style housing facility in central seoul killed at least seven people and injured 11 others on friday1 the fire authorities are investigating possible safety lapses in the building1 it was dawn and the exit door was likely blocked so it would have been difficult for the residents to escape 1 another official from the jongno station said the facility which was built in 1983 did not have sprinklers because current safety regulations cant be retroactively applied to older structures1 the official who didnt want to be named citing office rules said it was unclear whether the buildings smoke detector worked1 according to seoul metropolitan fire and disaster headquarters the death toll could rise despite the blaze been extinguished1 budget travelers also often stay in such facilities1 south korean media reported that most of the victims were manual laborers in their 40s to 60s1 the fire agency couldnt immediately confirm the reports. it wasnt known whether any young students or travelers were staying there1 the facility was located on the second and third floors of a three-story building. its first floor has restaurants1 the fire agency said all the victims were on the second and third floors1