The lawyer’s office was “on fire”, 7 people in the room died together

Associated Yonhap said the fire broke out at 10:55 am (local time) on the 2nd floor of a 7-storey office building in the busy commercial district of Beomeo-dong. This area belongs to Daegu city, about 302 km south of Seoul.

The burned building is located right behind the Suseong District Court of Daegu City, the surrounding area is home to many law offices.

About 50 fire engines and 160 firefighters were dispatched to the scene. Firefighters completely extinguished the fire about 20 minutes later. Dozens of residents were evacuated and no one is currently trapped in the building.

People were evacuated to a safe place. Photo: Yonhap

People were waiting for the rescue team. Photo: Yonhap

Seven people (including five men and two women) were confirmed dead. After analyzing images from security cameras, police identified the suspect in causing the fire as a man in his 50s. The suspect is believed to be among those killed at the scene.

Police believe that the suspect set fire to the lawyer’s office that was handling a case involving this person.

Jeong Hyeon-wook, an official at the Daegu Metropolitan Police Department, said security cameras captured the suspect leaving the house with a container suspected to be used to set fire in his hand. “We are looking into the exact motives after security camera footage shows the suspect leaving his home earlier in the day, carrying something,” Jeong said. Yonhap.

According to Jeong, all the dead victims were found in the same room and the police are investigating the suspect’s motive.

The scene of a fire in Daegu on June 9. Photo: AP

Firefighters move the body of a person killed in a fire on June 9. Photo: Dong-a Ilbo

Fire scene. Photo: Yonhap

South Korean media released photos taken by witnesses near the scene showing smoke rising from a building in Daegu’s popular Beomeo-dong business district.

Some photos show broken glass windows, which Mr. Park said were broken down by the fire brigade to save lives.

At least 41 people were injured, mainly from smoke inhalation, 26 of whom were hospitalized for treatment, said Park Seok-jin, head of the Suseong district fire department.

Daegu is the 4th largest city in Korea and is home to more than 2.6 million people. The city was once the site of one of the deadliest arson attacks in history in South Korea. In 2003, a 56-year-old man set fire to a subway train, killing 192 people.