Seoul: South Korean officials say residents rescued a woman and her three children from a fire by safely catching them with a blanket as they fell four floors.
Moon Sang-hyeon from the Songtan Fire Department said Wednesday that about 10 people, including U.S. servicemen, held the blanket and persuaded the mother to drop her children from a fourth-floor window and jump herself before rescue workers arrived at the scene last week in the city of Pyeongtaek.
Moon says the children, aged 1, 3, and 4 -were not hurt and their mother suffered only minor injuries. He says firefighters rescued another woman and there were no further injuries.
The four-story building stood on a narrow alley near a busy outdoor market and a U.S. military base, which made it difficult for fire trucks to reach the scene quickly, Moon said.
"Usually, it's safer to be patient and wait for fire workers to come, but in this case, everything worked out for the best," Moon said.
Cellphone footage capturing the dramatic rescue has been appearing in social media.
