One injured in building collapse in Yongsan

A four-story building in Seoul collapsed unexpectedly at 12:35 p.m. on Sunday, leaving one woman injured.

According to the police, a building located in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul, completely toppled down for reasons yet unknown. One resident on the fourth floor surnamed Lee, 68, was injured in the accident and was transferred to a nearby hospital.

The restaurants on the first and second floors of the building were closed and only Lee, among the four residents on the third and fourth floors, was inside the building at the time of the collapse, the fire authorities said.

Four cars parked around the building were also damaged due to the collapse of the building.

The reason for the sudden collapse of the building was not known, as of Sunday evening. The building, constructed in 1966, was not subject to safety inspections as it was not designated as a dangerous facility.

“I was the only one inside the building. I felt the building shake and it fell,” Lee told local news outlets.

While some witnesses testified that they heard a blast before the collapse, the fire officials said it has not yet determined if there was any kind of explosion.

The fire authorities deployed 132 officers to search for victims, and ordered residents in three nearby buildings to evacuate.

By Jo He-rim (herim@heraldcorp.com)