Almeno 20 pazienti e un’infermiera sono morti a causa di un incendio in un ospedale geriatrico vicino Seul, in Corea del Sud

Altre sei persone sono rimaste ferite gravemente; l’ospedale è lo “Hyosarang Hospital”, che si trova a circa 300 chilometri a sud di Seul, capitale della Corea del Sud. La maggior parte delle persone morte nell’incendio avevano tra i 70 e gli 80 anni. L’infermiera che è morta aveva tentato di spegnere le fiamme con un estintore, secondo Agence-France Presse.

Police said they had detained an 81-year-old patient suffering from dementia after security video footage showed him entering an area where the fire began, reports said.

The fire broke out shortly after midnight at a three-storey annex.

Agencies report that many patients on an upper floor of the building were unable to evacuate as their rooms were filled with smoke from the fire.

The nurse who died had been trying to douse the flames with a fire extinguisher, according to Agence-France Presse.

Police said the building had recently undergone safety checks, reported Yonhap news agency.