Hotel inferno kills at least seven, guests jump from 8th floor and bodies are strewn across stairwells as fire rages through complex in South Korea
- More than 150 firefighters and 46 vehicles were deployed to extinguish the fire
A fire has raged through a hotel in South Korea, leaving at least seven dead and dozens injured as guests desperately tried to escape the blaze.
According to local media, some of the deceased had jumped on air mattresses from the eighth floor.
It is not yet clear what caused the fire. Officials said the fire started on the eighth floor of a nine-story hotel in the city of Bucheon shortly after 7:30 p.m.
Firefighters were able to prevent the flames from spreading throughout the building, but thick black smoke was reported to have filled several floors, causing a number of casualties.
Emergency services reportedly found victims strewn across hallways and stairwells as they tried to flee. Foreign nationals are also believed to be among the dead.
Photos show smoke billowing from an eighth-floor window where the fire is believed to have started
Kim In-jae, director of the Bucheon Public Health Department, said at a briefing that three of the injured victims were in serious condition.
Lee Sang-don, an official at the Bucheon Fire Station, said the nine-story hotel was housing 23 guests when the fire broke out. Most of the victims were reportedly found on the ninth floor.
He added that the fire is almost out but the number of injuries and deaths could rise as emergency services search the building.
More than 150 firefighters and 46 vehicles were deployed to extinguish the fire, which is under investigation for its cause.
A firefighter is seen behind a broken window as he searches for missing persons in the hotel
Firefighters work inside the building as smoke continues to billow from a nearby window
A fire official warned that the casualty count could rise further as the rescue mission continues.
Twelve injuries have now been reported, of whom at least three are seriously injured.
The victims were taken to Soonchunhyang University Hospital, St. Mary’s Hospital, Incheon St. Mary’s Hospital, Incheon Gil Hospital, Daniel Hospital and Ewha Mokdong Hospital.
