Seoul: Seven people were killed and 10 injured in a raging fire at a warehouse south of Seoul, and up to 32 people were missing, an official said today.

Kim Jung-geun, a fire official in Icheon, about 80 kilometers, south of Seoul, said more than 500 firefighters were trying to put out the blaze. The exact cause of the fire, which started at the warehouse in the morning, was not known, Kim said.

"The 10 injured were being treated in hospitals for burns and inhaling smoke," Kim said. The dead were discovered as firefighters conducted rescue operations, he said. Kim had no details on the warehouse itself.

Yonhap news agency reported that the warehouse was used for refrigeration. Korea 2000,the logistics company which owns the facility, had no immediate comment. Footage from cable news channel YTN showed firefighters working to douse the blaze amid a thick cloud of smoke.

Source : PTI