Fire in Seoul causes eye pain... Residents and tourists ”run around in confusion” due to smoke

A fire broke out in the Euljiro urban redevelopment area of Seoul, South Korea, causing great inconvenience to citizens and tourists on their way home. Not only the roadway but also the sidewalks were closed, making it difficult to follow the usual route.
As the trains could no longer be used, some people were seen making large detours to other stations, or abandoning their original destinations and heading home.
The Jung-gu Office instructed people to take a detour around the building. As a result, all lanes from Euljiro 4-ga to 3-ga were closed to traffic. Police cordoned off traffic on the sidewalk, and traffic was blocked off from Euljiro 4-ga Station.
Tourists who arrived near Euljiro 3-ga were confused. Looking back and forth between the area where the fire broke out and the map,
Some people just stood there for a while. Mr. Kim (67), who was guiding a Japanese person at Jongno 3-ga Station, said, "(The Japanese person) was asking the police for directions, but he was using a language app to help me.
"I was having trouble running an errand, so I'm taking him there," he said. Office workers on their way home also complained of difficulties. Ms. Kim (35), who lives in Gangseo-gu, said, "I should have gone to Euljiro 4-ga Station or
"I was planning to take Line 5 from there to go home, but now I have to change to Line 2. It's a long detour," said Kim (28), who turned back in front of the police line.
I was planning to go to an ENT clinic after work, but I gave up because the hospital is across the street. Some people were trying to use the underground passage to go to Euljiro 4-ga.
Ng (25) said, "I want to get there quickly, so I'm planning to go through the underground. I don't know if this will work, but it's very inconvenient."
Smoke also flowed into Euljiro 4-ga Station, filling the station with a burning smell.
The corporation has begun taking measures such as turning on the exhaust system, but passersby were frequently coughing while covering their mouths. People were also seen grimacing, saying, "My eyes hurt" and "The smell is terrible."
A cafe near Euljiro 4-ga Station that usually stays open until 10 p.m. posted a notice saying, "Due to delays in putting out the fire, we will close early at 6:30 p.m."
Meanwhile, a fire broke out at a building in Euljiro, Jung-gu, Seoul at 3:25 p.m. on the same day. The fire has now subsided and the fire department has lowered the response level to level 1, but the firefighting efforts are ongoing.
The blaze has been ongoing for more than four hours. Fire officials said, "We have surrounded the building on all four sides and are devoting all our efforts to putting out the fire."