Construction Site Fire

[Anchor Lead]

A fire has been blazing at a construction site for the last two weeks. Natural gas leaking from the grounds is believed to be the culprit. Authorities say it’s hard to predict when the fire will finally be put out.

[Pkg]

Construction to build a park is under way in a downtown area. Red flames are seen blazing over a heap of earth. The surrounding soil is already burnt black. The fire which began on March 8th has continued for two weeks.

[Soundbite] Kim Deok-gu(Pohang Resident) : "At first it was strange but now I'm mystified."

The fire is believed to be due to natural gas leaking from underground. The gas has been produced from the decomposition of organic matter. Up until 15 million years ago, the city of Pohang and the surrounding area was an ocean. Natural gas was discovered in the city 30 years ago. It's not known how much natural gas is held underground and therefore it's difficult to predict how long the fire will continue. As soon as the flames die down, the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources will survey the underground site to identify any additional gas reserves and the amount.