At least 28 injured in gas explosion at sauna in Gyeonggi

A gas explosion inside a sauna in Yangju, Gyeonggi, on Saturday morning has left at least 28 people injured, according to fire authorities.

Scene of a gas explosion at a sauna in Yangju, Gyeonggi, on Sept. 27 [GYEONGGI NORTHERN FIRE AND DISASTER HEADQUARTERS]

A gas explosion inside a sauna in Yangju, Gyeonggi, on Saturday morning has left at least 28 people injured, according to fire authorities.

The toll, initially reported as 19, increased as more victims were identified.

One staff member in his 60s and two customers in their 70s and 50s sustained serious injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital. The remaining 25 suffered minor injuries.

Authorities said that another 72 people, including nine staff members, evacuated the building on their own.

A total of 42 personnel and 17 fire and rescue vehicles were dispatched to the scene.

Officials warned that the number of casualties could rise.

Fire authorities believe the explosion occurred while a sauna employee was using a torch connected to a 20-kilogram LPG cylinder to burn firewood. The worker attempted to relight the torch after the flame had gone out, but gas continued to leak, and the concentrated gas is believed to have exploded. No fire ignited as a result of the blast.

Update, Sept. 27: The original report stated that the number of injured was 19, but the toll increased as authorities identified more victims. Update, Sept. 27 : More information on the cause of the explosion added.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY HYEON YE-SEUL [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]