Emergency alert as fire breaks out near Olympic sites

GANGNEUNG: A fire close to the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics athletes' and media villages caused concern on Thursday before the blaze was brought under control with no casualties.

Smoke billowed from an apartment block between the athletes' and media village and close to the Kwandong Hockey Centre, prompting authorities to send a warning to the mobile phones of people in the area.

But an official from POCOG, the Games' organising committee, told AFP: "It was a small fire and it was put out with no harm to any people."

One day before the opening ceremony, Games organisers are also scrambling to contain a norovirus outbreak which has hit at least 86 people so far, none of the athletes. — AFP