(2nd LD) 7 dead, some 40 others injured in fire at lawyers' office building in Daegu

▲ This photo contributed by a news reader shows citizens waiting for help on the terraces of a building on fire in Daegu on June 9, 2022. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ A police line is set up around a building in Daegu where a fire killed seven people on June 9, 2022. (Yonhap)

(2nd LD) fire-deaths

(2nd LD) 7 dead, some 40 others injured in fire at lawyers' office building in Daegu

(ATTN: RECASTS headline; UPDATES throughout)

SEOUL/DAEGU, June 9 (Yonhap) -- A fire broke out at a five-story building populated by lawyers' offices in the southeastern city of Daegu on Thursday, leaving seven dead and some 40 others injured, officials said.

Police pinpointed a 50-something man as a suspected arsonist responsible for the fire after a CCTV analysis but said he is believed to be among those killed at the scene.

The fire started on the second floor of the building in Daegu, about 300 kilometers south of Seoul, at around 10:55 a.m., according to the firefighting officials.

The fire killed seven people, all of them on the second floor, while some 40 others inhaled smoke. Many others were evacuated to safety.

The identities of the dead, including five men, have yet to be confirmed.

Police suspect the alleged arsonist set fire to a lawyer's office handling a case involving him.

"We are looking into the exact motive after confirming CCTV images showing him leaving his home earlier in the day, carrying something," a police official said.

The building, located close to a district court, houses many lawyers' offices. The fire was fully extinguished in 20 minutes, with some 50 fire trucks and 160 firefighting personnel sent to the scene.

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