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People hold blanket to save mom, kids from fire in S. Korea

Associated Press
Published | Updated

In this April 29, 2016, image made from closed circuit video provided by the Songtan Chamber of Commerce, residents, including U.S. servicemen, use a blanket as they catch a woman and her three children as they jump to escape a fire in Pyeongtaek, South Korea. 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. (Songtan Chamber of Commerce via AP) (The Associated Press)

In this May 2, 2016 image, made from video provided by DVIDS, a building is burned after a fire where residents, including U.S. servicemen, used a blanket to catch a woman and her three children as they jumped to safety in Pyeongtaek, South Korea. South Korean officials say residents rescued the four from a fire by safely catching them with a blanket as they fell four floors. (DVIDS via AP) (The Associated Press)

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.

Cellphone footage capturing the dramatic rescue has been appearing in social media.