A fire at a nine-story hotel in Bucheon, South Korea, resulted in the deaths of seven people and injuries to twelve others.

The fire broke out in a room on the 8th floor of the nine-story hotel in Bucheon around 7:39 PM local time. As the corridors quickly filled with smoke, 70 vehicles, 160 firefighters, and medical teams were dispatched to the scene. According to a statement from the fire department, seven people lost their lives, and twelve others were injured. It was reported that two of the deceased died after jumping onto a rescue mat set up by the firefighters.

The fire, believed to have been caused by an electrical fault, was extinguished after about four hours. Although the fire did not spread throughout the building, significant damage was reported due to the lack of a sprinkler fire suppression system in the rooms. The building was reportedly constructed in 2003, before such systems were made mandatory in the country.

A guest mentioned that after entering room 810, where the fire started, they noticed the smell of burning and were subsequently moved to a different room.

While an investigation into the incident has been launched, it was noted that the use of the rescue mat by the firefighters is also under scrutiny.