3 dead, 27 injured in hospital fire in southwestern S. Korea

Three people have been confirmed dead and 27 others wounded in a hospital fire that occurred in southwestern South Korea early Friday, according to local media reports.

The fire broke out at 3:42am local time Friday from the first floor of a hospital in Goheung, South Jeolla province, some 470 km south of the capital Seoul. It was extinguished about 140 minutes later.

Of 86 people inside the hospital including 69 patients, seven nurses and 10 family members of the patients, three were killed and 27 others were injured.

Two of the dead were found on the stairs of the second and third floors of the hospital each. Out of the wounded, nine were allegedly in a critical condition because of smoke inhalation and burns.

The cause of the blaze was under investigation, but it was believed to have been triggered by an electrical problem as no sign of intrusion was detected outside of the seven-story hospital building.