9 die in South Korean immigration centre fire

Seoul, Feb 11: Nine foreigners died after fire broke out today in a South Korean immigration detention centre where they were being held for deportation, a local official said.

The dead included five Chinese and an Uzbek. The nationalities of the others was not immediately known.

Another 18 people were injured. ''The death toll could rise as some are seriously injured,'' the official, who asked not to be identified, said by phone.

The fire broke out at the jail in Yosu, around 300 km (190 miles) south of the capital Seoul where some 50 illegal immigrants were waiting to be deported.

The cause of the fire was being investigated.

Reuters