South Korea’s National Hangeul Museum suffered a deadly fire breakout on Saturday, February 1, KST.
The flames started on the third floor of the four-story building and eventually spread to the fourth floor, completely destroying both levels. Though local authorities dispatched teams almost immediately, it reportedly took 262 firefighters working tirelessly for over seven hours to completely put out the fire.
While trying to bring the flames under control, one firefighter was injured after being struck by falling steel debris and was immediately taken to the hospital for treatment. Two construction workers who were trapped in the building were successfully rescued, while four others evacuated safely.
The National Hangeul Museum houses some of the most critical heritage items related to the Korean language, such as letters and writings of Jeongjo, the 22nd monarch of the Joseon Dynasty, and Korea’s first collection of poems, “Cheonggu Yeongeon.”
Thankfully, the fire did not harm the museum’s artifacts, which are kept in separate storage. The museum is set to relocate its entire collection of around 89,000 historical items to the nearby National Museum of Korea.
The National Hangeul Museum has been undergoing extensive renovations since October last year and was expected to reopen within a year. However, due to the significant damage caused by the fire, an October reopening might not be on the horizon anymore.
Source: Chosun Ilbo
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