Hotel inferno leaves at least seven dead with guests ‘leaping from 8th floor and bodies found scattered in stairways’ as fire rips through complex in South Korea

A fire has ripped through a hotel in South Korea, leaving at least seven people dead and a dozen injured as guests desperately tried to escape the inferno.

Some of those who perished had jumped from the eighth floor down onto air mattresses below, local media reports.

It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the blaze, which officials said began on the eighth floor of the nine-storey hotel in the city of Bucheon just after 7.30pm.

Firefighters were able to prevent the flames from spreading throughout the building, however thick black smoke is reported to have filled multiple floors, causing a number of the casualties. 

Emergency service workers have reportedly found victims scattered in halls and stairways as they tried to flee. Foreign nationals are believed to be among the dead.

Pictures show smoke pouring out of a window on the eighth floor, where the fire is thought to have started

Kim In-jae, the director of Bucheon’s public health department, said in a briefing that three of the victims who were injured were in serious condition. 

Lee Sang-don, an official with the Bucheon Fire Station, said the nine-story hotel was accommodating 23 guests when the fire broke out. Most of the victims were reportedly found on the ninth floor.

He added that the fire was nearly extinguished, but that the numbers of injuries or deaths could increase as emergency workers search the building. 

More than 150 firefighters and 46 vehicles were deployed to put out the fire, and the cause is being investigated.

A firefighter is seen behind a smashed window searching for missing people in the hotel

Firefighters work in the building as smoke continues to pour out of a nearby window

A firefighting official warned that the number of casualties could rise as rescue mission continued.

Twelve people are now reported to have been wounded, at least three of whom are suffering from serious injuries.

The casualties were transferred to Soonchunhyang University Hospital, St. Mary’s Hospital, Incheon St. Mary’s Hospital, Incheon Gil Hospital, Daniel Hospital, and Ewha Mokdong Hospital.