SEOUL, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- Separate fires struck two commercial buildings almost simultaneously in southern Seoul of South Korea on Tuesday, leaving 19 injured including one in critical condition, according to Yonhap news agency.
The first blaze was reported at around 11:54 a.m. local time on the third floor of a building in Gangnam district.
One victim was rushed to a nearby hospital in a state of cardiac arrest, while 10 others sustained injuries. About 60 people who were inside the building managed to evacuate on their own.
At around 12:01 p.m., another fire broke out on the fourth floor of a nearby building in the same district, resulting in eight additional injuries and bringing the total number of casualties to 19.
To combat the flames, the fire authorities mobilized 115 personnel and 56 pieces of firefighting equipment.
An official from the fire authorities was quoted as saying that there was no connection found between the two fires based on what had been confirmed so far.
The fire authorities and police planned to launch an investigation to determine the exact cause of the incidents as soon as the fires are completely extinguished. ■
