South Korean mall fire: At least seven die in Daejeon

A fire at a shopping centre in the South Korean city of Daejeon has killed at least seven people and injured one, according to local officials.

It was not immediately clear if there were people still missing or what had caused the blaze as smoke remained in some parts of the building in Daejeon, 168 kilometres (104 miles) from the capital, Seoul.

An official from the Daejeon Fire Headquarters said the search for survivors was ongoing after the fire had been put out at about 3pm (06:00 GMT). More than 500 firefighters and 90 vehicles were sent to the site, a fire official said.

The fire had started at about 7:46 am (22:26 GMT) and quickly spread across the basement’s loading dock area, forcing an evacuation of more than 110 people, including mall employees and customers at a nearby hotel.