A fire broke out at the former Le Meridien Seoul hotel that was being redeveloped in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on Thursday, authorities said. The fire started at 12:46 p.m. on the roof of the building near Sinnonhyeon Station, according to Gangnam Fire Station. Authorities confirmed that the fire was completely put out in about an hour, after 171 firefighters and 51 fire trucks were deployed to the scene. The hotel was clos.
The Seoul neighborhood of Gangnam is synonymous worldwide with glitzy high-rises, but makeshift homes were destroyed Friday in a lesser-known shantytown in a corner of the district.