AT LEAST 5 DEAD IN EXPRESSWAY TUNNEL FIRE

[Anchor Lead]

A fire broke out from a car in a noise-barrier tunnel along an expressway in Gwacheon Thursday afternoon, leaving 5 people dead and some 40 people injured.

[Pkg]

Raging flames blanket the road. The entire scene is engulfed in billows of black smoke. The fire broke out at the Bukuiwang Interchange on the 2nd Gyeongin Expressway near Gwacheon, Gyeonggi-do Province, on Thursday at 1:50 p.m. The blaze started from a garbage truck inside a noise-barrier tunnel. The cause is yet to be determined. Fire authorities believe the flames quickly spread onto the plastic panels that cover the tunnel.

[Soundbite] Nam Seung-hyun(Gwacheon Fire Station) : "We are investigating the cause of the fire. We'll have to investigate the cars as well."

So far at least five people are confirmed as dead. They were found in four burned vehicles inside the tunnel.

[Soundbite] Nam Seung-hyun(Gwacheon Fire Station) : "At first the death toll was six, but after putting out the flames we found there had been overlapped reports. The current death toll is five."

Three people have sustained serious injuries such as facial burns and were rushed to hospital. About three dozen others are receiving treatment for minor injuries such as smoke inhalation. Fire authorities issued a Stage 2 alert around 30 minutes after receiving a distress call and rushed to the scene to extinguish the fire. Around 90 units of equipment, helicopters and more than 200 fire fighters were mobilized. The large flames were put out in around an hour and a half. Around two hours later, at 4:10 p.m., the fire had been extinguished completely. Interior minister Lee Sang-min issued an emergency order to deploy all possible means and equipment to save lives.