3 dead, 37 injured in S. Korea's construction site fire

SEOUL - Three people were confirmed dead and 37 others injured in a fire at a construction site in central South Korea, local media reported on Tuesday citing firefighting authorities.

The blaze broke out at about 1:10 pm local time (0410 GMT) from an underground parking garage of an apartment building under construction in the country's central administrative city of Sejong.

Three workers at the site had been found dead, with 37 others injured. Three workers suffered heavy injuries. 

The construction firm officials confirmed to the Chinese embassy that the injured, including 12 Chinese citizens, have been sent to different hospitals.

Inside the construction site, there were a lot of flammable materials stacked up, making it hard to put out the fire. The firefighting operation continued for more than five hours.

The apartment building had no fire protection facilities installed as it was under construction.

Almost 50 fire trucks and some 200 firefighters were dispatched to the scene for search and rescue and firefighting operations, according to local media reports.