A fire in a South Korean hospital killed 33 people and injured more than 70, a fire station official said on Friday, with eight of those injured listed as being in critical condition.

The fire started at around 7.30am (6.30am Malaysian time) at the rear of the emergency room on the first floor of Sejong Hospital and it was mostly extinguished after a few hours, Choi Man-woo, the head of Miryang city’s fire station, told a televised media briefing.

Miryang is about 270km southeast of the capital, Seoul. 

The death toll could rise as the rescue operation was still underway.

Firefighters had evacuated around roughly 200 people from the main hospital building and nursing home directly behind the hospital, Choi said.

Eight people were listed as critically injured and 69 slightly injured by 0153 GMT. Most of those who died were on the first and second floors of the hospital, he said.

There were no deaths from burns, Choi said, and officials were investigating the reason for the blaze.

The presidential Blue House in Seoul said in a mobile message President Moon Jae-in had called an emergency meeting of his aides to address measures regarding the fire.

Earlier on Friday, news channel, YTN showed black smoke billowing from the windows and entrance to the hospital and flames flickering.

At least one patient was shown being carried from the hospital on another person’s back, covered in blankets.

People evacuated from the hospital were being treated at four other hospitals nearby, YTN said.

The fire comes just a month after 29 people were killed in a blaze at an eight-storey fitness center in Jecheon City.

- Reuters