(LEAD) Fire breaks out at Seoul subway station

A fire broke out inside a subway station in southern Seoul on Saturday, causing trains to pass through without stopping.

The blaze started at Daechi Station on Subway Line 3 at 7:53 a.m. and was extinguished 24 minutes later.

During the time, trains in both directions bypassed the station until normal operations resumed at 9:07 a.m.

“An air purifier on the platform caught fire,” a Daechi Station official said.

A total of 81 firefighters and 19 pieces of equipment were mobilized to put out the fire.

Source: Yonhap News Agency