SEOUL -- A fire broke out in a commercial and residential building in the South Korean city of Seongnam on Friday, probably trapping multiple people, local media outlets reported.

The blaze started when a restaurant kitchen on the first floor of the building was caught on fire, as TV footage showed the building was engulfed in thick plume of smoke.

The fire began at 4:37 pm local time at the eight-storey building in Yatap-dong in Bundang district of Seongnam, and firefighters, upon receiving multiple fire alarm calls, were working to put out the fire by deploying about 80 fire engines and other equipment, Yonhap news agency said, citing local authorities.

Authorities said some 40 people have been rescued from the facility while about 50 others managed to escape from the scene by themselves. There were no casualties reported so far, Yonhap said.