A large fire broke out in an 18-story high-end residential and commercial complex in Milan, Italy, causing an emergency evacuation.
At around 5:45 local time the day before (29th), a fire broke out in 'Torre dei Moro', a residential and commercial complex in the southern part of Milan.
The fire started on the top floor of a 60-metre-high building, which quickly spread to the lower floors, burning most of the building, and was caught around noon yesterday.
One resident said, "The building panels melted like butter." He said, "I rushed out of the building through the thick smoke."
About 70 households and 150 people lived in the building, but no casualties have been reported yet.
Local fire authorities believe that many of the tenants were on their last-minute vacation, and the fire alarm system worked to avoid a catastrophe.
Fire authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire, but the possibility of an electrical short has been raised.
Authorities are weighing the likelihood that the panels were made of a combustible material that is vulnerable to fire, based on the fact that the fire spread rapidly through the exterior wall panels of the building.
Most of the exterior walls of the building were destroyed by fire, leaving only the skeleton of the building.
The building is a modern reinforced concrete structure completed in 2011 and was erected as part of a redevelopment project outside Milan.
The Consulate General in Milan said, "It has been determined that Korean residents do not live in the fire building, and we are urging people to refrain from accessing the surrounding area due to concerns about the safety of the building."said.
Currently, there are 1,770 Koreans residing in Milan.
(Photo = EPA, Yonhap News)