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Fire kills five in S Korea raid Deadly Seoul clash sparks inquiry
(about 2 hours later)
Five people have been killed in a fire in South Korea that broke out during a clash between police and a group of protesters. Five protesters and a police officer have been killed in a blaze that broke out amid clashes in the South Korean capital Seoul.
The protesters had been occupying a building earmarked for demolition in central Seoul. President Lee Myung-bak has ordered an inquiry into the incident, in which 23 people were also injured.
One police officer is believed to be among those killed. The blaze broke out as police stormed a building occupied by some 40 people, who resisted using firebombs and acid.
In a dramatic commando raid, the South Korean police were attempting to reach the roof of the occupied building when the fire broke out. The protesters were demanding better compensation to leave the property, which is scheduled for redevelopment.
Officers in riot gear were packed inside a shipping container that was being lowered into place by a giant crane. The incident threatens to spark a political controversy.
News reports say that the protesters - about 40 tenants of an office building due to be demolished - fought back by hurling Molotov cocktails. It comes just two days after President Lee replaced the country's police chief, who had been widely criticised for being too hard on anti-government protesters.
Television footage showed a fierce blaze engulfing the roof. It took firefighters an hour to bring it under control. Commando raid
As well as the loss of life, the incident has left at least 17 police and protesters injured, some seriously. In a dramatic commando raid in the Yongsan district of the capital, the South Korean police were attempting to reach the roof of the occupied building when the fire broke out, according to the BBC's John Sudworth.
There are suggestions that the handling of the protest could have political implications. Police have been criticised for heavy-handed tactics in the pastOfficers in riot gear were packed inside a shipping container that was being lowered into place by a giant crane, and used water cannon against the protesters, witnesses said.
It comes just two days after South Korean President Lee Myung-bak replaced the country's police chief, who had been widely criticised for being too hard on anti-government protesters. The protesters fought back by hurling Molotov cocktails, paint thinner, acid, bricks and golf balls, reports said. The chemicals used may have fed the fire which broke out, and which took firefighters an hour to bring under control.
As well as the loss of life, the incident has left 23 police and protesters injured, with one protester said to be in a coma.
In a televised address, Prime Minister Han Seung-soo expressed "deep regret" but warned that lawbreakers would face "stern measures".
The incident comes just two days after President Lee replaced his police chief - who had been heavily criticised for his handling of a barrage of protests against US beef imports earlier in the year - with a new chief, Kim Seok-ki.
"[Kim's] first performance after being appointed as the head of police was a bloody crackdown on ordinary citizens," a spokeswoman for the opposition Democratic Party said according to AFP news agency.