Seoul: Firefighters on Tuesday successfully extinguished a blaze that erupted at a building within the Jogye Temple compound located in central Seoul. Officials confirmed that there were no casualties as a result of the incident.

According to Ethiopian News Agency, the fire broke out at the international conference hall on the second floor of the Korean Buddhism History and Culture Memorial Hall adjacent to the temple. The blaze, which began in the late morning, was contained by 11:57 a.m., approximately an hour and a half after it started.

The emergency response involved the evacuation of about 300 people from the site. A total of 142 personnel, aided by 35 fire vehicles, were deployed to combat the fire. Fortunately, the flames were extinguished before they could reach the temple itself or the nearby Central Buddhist Museum, which houses a range of cultural artifacts.

Due to concerns over potential damage, authorities took precautionary measures by relocating eight of the 33 artifacts on display at the museum to an art storage space at the National Palace Museum of Korea. This decision was made to ensure the preservation of these valuable cultural pieces.

Fire authorities are currently investigating the cause of the fire. Initial reports suggest that the blaze may have originated from sparks emitted by a ceiling air conditioner, as recounted by eyewitnesses at the scene.