Seoul shanty town fire forces residents to evacuate

A massive blaze swept through a shanty town in Seoul, South Korea, destroying homes in the impoverished area of Guryong. Nearly 300 firefighters contained the fire after six hours with no reported injuries or deaths. The hillside community has a history of recurrent fires due to crowded dwellings made of combustible materials, highlighting extreme wealth inequality in South Korea. Guryong was established in the 1980s as a refuge for those displaced during urban development programmes preceding the 1988 Olympic Games.

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