SEOUL • At least four people were killed and more than 40 others injured in a fire that broke out in a South Korean mall, the authorities said yesterday.
According to the police, the fire may have been started by sparks from a welding torch.
Two of the victims were builders - the other two were a mall worker and a shopper.
Most of the 47 people who were injured complained of smoke inhalation.
The fire broke out in a children's play area in the mall in Dongtan, a commuter town south of Seoul.
The play area was closed at the time of the fire, which broke out at about 11am on Saturday.
Around 30 fire trucks and 100 firefighters were deployed before the blaze was put out at around noon.
The authorities urged builders to follow safety regulations, and said that welding torches were responsible for past blazes, such as a warehouse fire in December 2008 in the eastern city of Icheon, in which eight people died.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
