S Korean karaoke fire kills 9, injures 25

A very smoky fire in a South Korean karaoke lounge killed nine people and injured 25 others, police said Sunday. It took about 100 firefighters with 20 fire trucks more than an hour to extinguish the fire, which broke out on the third floor of a six-story building in Busan around 9 p.m. Saturday, the Yonhap news agency said. Witnesses told police there was a loud bang and a sudden rush of flames, although a cause hadn't been determined by midday Sunday. The smoke was very dense, which made it difficult for customers to evacuate the facility's 28 rooms, the report said. The fatalities were seven men and two women, all of whom died of smoke inhalation, firefighters said. Three of the men were migrant workers from Sri Lanka holding a party with Korean co-workers, the report said. Of the 25 people injured, only one was reported to be in serious condition, officials said.