2 Japanese Women Injured in Capsule Hotel Fire in Seoul

Seoul, March 15 (Jiji Press)--South Korea's Ministry of the Interior and Safety said Sunday that three foreigners, including two Japanese, suffered serious injuries in a fire that occurred at a capsule hotel in central Seoul on Saturday afternoon.

According to informed sources, the two Japanese are a woman in her 50s and possibly her daughter in her 20s. The older woman is unconscious, the sources said. They are believed to be on a sightseeing trip.

Seven other people were slightly injured in the fire, which broke out around 6:10 p.m. Saturday, the ministry said.

The hotel is located near the Myeongdong downtown district in Seoul and is popular among foreign visitors.

South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported that evacuation may have been difficult because the hallway of the hotel is narrow. At the hotel, single beds are arranged in a honeycomb pattern, according to Yonhap.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]