7 killed in Seoul hostel fire

At least seven people were killed and 11 others injured on Friday when a fire broke out in a hostel in downtown Seoul, police said.

The blaze is believed to have broken out on the third floor of the three-storey building at around 5 a.m., reports Yonhap News Agency.

It was extinguished at 7 a.m.

About 50 residents were at the accommodation -- commonly referred to as a "goshiwon" in Korean -- which occupied the second and third floors of the building.

Most of the residents are day labourers, and those killed or injured were aged between their 40s and 60s, officials said.

Officials said the number of casualties could rise.

The aged building had no sprinkler, but it was equipped with other emergency equipment, such as an emergency bell, an emergency exit and an emergency descending device.

The cause of the fire is under probe.

--IANS

ksk