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SEOUL - Dozens of firefighters Sunday battled a blaze at one of South Korea's most historic sites, the Namdaemun gate in the heart of the capital Seoul.
Firefighters said the cause of the blaze had yet to be determined but there were no casualties. Eighty firemen brought the flames under control late Sunday.
"The fire was brought under control shortly after it broke out and there were no casualties," an official at Seoul's Jungbu fire station told AFP.
"Firefighters are still working to completely put out the fire."
The official had no details on damage.
Thick white smoke covered the two-storey wooden structure built on the remnants of stone walls but no flames were visible from the exterior, according to witnesses and TV footage.
Yonhap news agency quoted a passing taxi driver telling police that he had spotted a man in his 50s climbing the stairs on the side of the gate before the blaze started.
The gate is adjacent to Namdaemun market, which has been operating for centuries and is popular with both tourists and locals.
Namdaemun, the oldest wooden structure in Seoul, was given the status of "National Treasure number one" in 1962. The original gate was constructed in 1398, rebuilt in 1447 and has since been frequently renovated.
- AFP /ls
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