21 injured from explosions at bathhouse on fire in Busan

Twenty-one people, including firefighters and government employees, sustained injuries during explosions that occurred while extinguishing a fire at a closed-down public bathhouse in Busan. Two people were seriously injured.

A fire fighter extinguishes the fire that occurred at a bathhouse in Busan on Friday. [YONHAP]

Twenty-one people, including firefighters and government employees, sustained injuries from explosions that occurred while extinguishing a fire at a closed-down public bathhouse in Busan on Friday.

Two suffered serious injuries, while the remaining 19 sustained minor injuries.

Witnesses reported two separate explosions occurred during the incident.

The cause of the fire remains unknown.

The fire erupted at 3:30 p.m. in Busan's Dong District.

A motorcycle near the closed-down public bathhouse in Busan knocked to the ground due to the explosions [YONHAP]

Just a week prior, a closed-down hotel in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, Le Méridien, also experienced a fire.

Eight construction workers at the site were safely evacuated, and none were injured.

Smoke rises above the buildings in Busan as a fire, followed by explosions, broke out at a public bath in Busan on Friday. [YONHAP]

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]