Blaze in South Korean hospital kills at least 37, more than 70 injured
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A fire in a South Korean hospital which did not have a sprinkler system killed at least 37 people and injured more than 70, officials said on Friday, the latest tragedy to raise concerns over the country's safety standards.
The fire is the deadliest in South Korea in at least a decade, according to Yonhap news agency, and follows a fire last month which killed 29 people in a high rise sports centre.
The presidential Blue House initially said the hospital fire killed at least 41, but then deferred to the city's fire chief who put the death toll at 37.
The fire started at around 7.30 am (2230 GMT) at the rear of the emergency room on the first floor of Sejong Hospital, Choi Man-woo, the head of Miryang city's fire station, told a televised media briefing. Miryang is about 270 km (170 miles) southeast of the capital, Seoul.
Television news footage showed a huge pall of black smoke billowing from the windows and entrance to the hospital and flames flickering.
