Major fire breaks out in Seoul's Gangnam district

Almost 300 ‍firefighters have been deployed to fight ​a major fire in a deprived area of ⁠the upmarket Gangnam district of southern Seoul, South Korea.

No casualties had been reported so far, but 47 residents were evacuated, an official at ‌the Seoul ​Metropolitan Fire & Disaster Headquarters said on Friday.

Authorities raised ‍the alert on the fire to the second level, with firefighters concerned about it spreading to a nearby mountain, the official said.

Eighty five fire ​trucks were sent to ‌the scene, but officials could not send a helicopter due to haze ​and fine dust shrouding the city, she said.

South ‍Korean Safety Minister Yun Ho-jung ordered officials to "mobilise all available personnel and equipment to focus ​fully ​on rescuing lives ​and extinguishing the fire," the Yonhap ​News Agency cited him as saying.

The area known as Guryong Village is a pocket of ramshackle housing in Gangnam, one of Seoul's wealthiest districts. It is due to be redeveloped into high-rise residential buildings.