South Korea Fire

40 people killed from toxic fumes in Seoul, South Korea.
The fire started on Monday and triggered several explosions.
Fire officials said most of the victims were construction workers trapped inside the basement of the refrigerated goods facility who could not escape a toxic cloud of gas that came from burning insulation material.
The fire is the deadliest in South Korea since a blaze in the subway system of Daegu, killed nearly 200 people in 2003. The victims included 12 ethnic Koreans who are Chinese citizens, the Chinese embassy in Seoul said. South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-soon plans to send a condolence letter to China's foreign minister, Song's ministry said. The exact cause is not yet known but local media said authorities were investigating whether gas caught fire in a basement engine room at the warehouse, starting the blaze. Ten workers were taken to hospital and another seven escaped without major injuries, fire officials said. More than 600 fire fighters and police were dispatched to the scene.The country's biggest newspaper, the Chosun Ilbo, said in an editorial on Tuesday it appeared as if little concern was paid to the safety of the construction workers.