Coupang warehouse blaze brought under initial control

A massive blaze at a Coupang warehouse was brought under initial control Monday, 61 hours after it broke out and forced the evacuation of hundreds of nearby residents, firefighting authorities said.

The fire at the logistics center in Incheon, just west of Seoul, was declared under initial control at 8 p.m. by the Incheon firefighting headquarters, after 812 firefighters and 231 pieces of equipment had been mobilized as part of a national order issued Saturday.

While the complex building structure and vast amounts of flammable material inside had hampered firefighting efforts, authorities made progress on Monday, helped by rainfall.

No casualties have been reported.

A total of 121 people, including warehouse employees, evacuated the warehouse immediately after the fire broke out, while more than 200 nearby residents took shelter at nearby schools following the local government's evacuation order over concerns the structure could collapse.

Local authorities advised day care centers and elementary schools in the area to close Monday, leading to the closure of one elementary school and 14 da ...