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South Korea fire toll rises to 27 South Korea fire toll rises to 40
(about 4 hours later)
At least 27 people have died and about a dozen are reported missing after a fire at a warehouse in South Korea. Firefighters say 40 people are now known to have died in a fire at a warehouse in South Korea.
Hundreds of firefighters have been drafted in to battle the blaze in Icheon, 80km (50 miles) south of the capital, Seoul. Hundreds of firefighters were involved in the operation at Icheon, 80km (50 miles) south of Seoul.
Thick, toxic smoke has caused problems for emergency crews, who say the death toll could rise. A local fire official told the Associated Press that rescuers were not expecting to find any more bodies.
The cause of the fire is not yet known, but witnesses reported hearing explosions coming from the basement. The cause of the fire has not been determined but witnesses reported hearing loud explosions coming from the basement of the building.
"There were loud bangs, flames shot up and one seriously burned woman ran into my restaurant crying for help," a local restaurateur told Korea's Yonhap news agency. Kim Jung-keun of the Icheon fire department said he believed inflammable vapours from materials being used by the workers may been ignited by a spark.
Senior fire department official Choi Jin-jong told Yonhap that the explosions had destroyed the firefighting equipment in the basement, making it harder to tackle the blaze. "The blaze triggered a chain of explosions, gutting the basement quickly," he told AFP news agency.
The temperature inside the building was still too high to search for the missing, he said. Senior fire department official Choi Jin-jong told Korea's Yonhap news agency that the explosions had destroyed the firefighting equipment in the basement, making it harder to tackle the blaze.
Another official told AFP news agency that 27 bodies had been recovered from the building. Firefighting efforts were also hampered by thick, toxic smoke coming from the basement.
"The death toll is expected to rise as a dozen workers are feared dead in the basement," he said. A local restaurateur told Yonhap: "There were loud bangs, flames shot up and one seriously burned woman ran into my restaurant crying for help."
Ten people have been taken to hospital suffering from burns and smoke inhalation. Ten people were taken to hospital suffering from burns and smoke inhalation.
Yonhap reported that 57 people were in the building, a newly-built cold storage facility, when the fire broke out. Yonhap reported that 57 people were in the building, a newly built cold storage facility, when the fire broke out.
Officials have said that the fire appeared to have started in the basement, where workers were using flammable painting materials.