Seven killed, 12 injured in South Korea hotel fire

Seven people were killed and 12 others injured following a fire at a hotel in Bucheon, 20 km west of Seoul, Yonhap News agency reported Friday, citing fire authorities. The fire began in a room on the eighth floor of the nine-story hotel at 7:39 p.m. (1039 GMT) Thursday, leaving seven hotel guests dead, according to authorities. The injured are undergoing treatment at local hospitals, with three of them in serious condition, the report said. Firefighters put out most of the fire about three hours later, the report said, adding that the hotel has 64 guestrooms and is estimated to have had 27 guests in the building when the fire broke out. The local police agency said it formed an 84-person investigation team to look into why the deadly blaze occurred. Source: Kuwait News Agency