Seoul: The death toll from a fire that tore through a South Korean warehouse today rose to 27,a fire official said as firefighters searched for others who remained missing.

Kim Jung-geun, an official in Icheon, said more than 500 firefighters were trying to put out the blaze in Icheon, about 80 kilometres south of the capital. The previous figure was 22. Kim said that 16 people remained missing or unaccounted for.

Earlier officials had said 10 people had died and 20 more were believed trapped in the basement of the refrigeration warehouse, suggesting the toll could still rise. "Additional bodies could be found as we continue the rescue operation," said Jin Sung-hun, another official in Icheon.

The exact cause of the fire, which started at the warehouse in the morning, was not known, Kim said. But Jin said explosions were involved in the blaze, which had not yet been extinguished.

Ha Je-ho, a fire investigator, said on cable news channel YTN television that firefighters and rescue officials were conducting the operation cautiously as the building might collapse.

The 10 people injured in the blaze were receiving treatment in hospitals for burns and smoke inhalation, Kim said. "We do not yet fully have the fire under control because smoke is still coming out of the basement," he said. 

Source : PTI