Nearly 300 South Korean firefighters were battling a major fire on Friday in a deprived area of the upmarket Gangnam district of southern Seoul, a fire official said.No casualties have been reported, but 47 residents of Guryong Village were evacuated, an official at the Seoul Metropolitan Fire & Disaster Headquarters said by telephone. About 110 people were living in the affected area, Yonhap News reported, citing fire officials.The blaze broke out at about 5.10 a.m. (2010 GMT on Thursday) and authorities later raised the fire alert to the second-highest level, with firefighters concerned it might spread to a nearby mountain, the fire official said.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Photographs from the scene showed a towering column of black smoke hanging over the area, as elderly residents wearing face masks evacuated.“I was asleep until a neighbour called saying there was a fire. I ran out and saw the flames already spreading,” said Kim