(LEAD) Fire at apartment building in northern Seoul kills 2, injures 29 people

▲ This photo, taken Dec. 25, 2023, shows parts of an apartment building charred by a fire in Seoul's Dobong district at around 4:57 a.m. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

(LEAD) fire-apartment

(LEAD) Fire at apartment building in northern Seoul kills 2, injures 29 people

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details; CHANGES photo)

SEOUL, Dec. 25 (Yonhap) -- A fire broke out at an apartment building in northern Seoul, leaving two people dead and injuring 29 people, firefighters said Monday.

The blaze occurred at the third floor of the 23-story apartment building in Seoul's Dobong district at around 4:57 a.m., according to fire services.

Two men in their 30s and a woman in her 70s were found in a state of cardiac arrest and sent to a hospital. The two men were pronounced dead, but the woman is known to have regained consciousness.

The other 28 people suffered injuries, including smoke inhalation, and 20 of them received treatment at hospital.

A man and woman in their 70s, who resided in the third floor apartment where the fire broke out, are believed to have jumped outside to save their lives.

About 222 firefighters battled the fire and extinguished it about three hours after the fire started. An estimated 200 residents were ordered to evacuate, and a total of 17 homes at the apartment reported damage from the fire so far.

Police and firefighters are investigating to determine the exact cause of the accident.

"There seems to be no foul play related to the fire," a police officer said, adding that a joint inspection into the scene will be carried out Tuesday.

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