Fire swept through a Seoul nightclub in the predawn hours Wednesday, causing the building's roof to collapse and killing three firefighters, Yonhap News reported quoting police sources.
The victims were buried under the collapsed roof on the third floor while attempting to put out the blaze. They were taken to a nearby hospital, where they were later pronounced dead.
No patrons were inside the three-story building at the time of the fire, Kim Seok-ho, a police officer at the Eunpyeong Police Station, was quoted as saying.
"The door was shut. After checking that no one was inside, the firefighters went into the building to put out the fire," Kim said.
The fire was reported by a witness at 5:25 a.m. and was put under control about an hour and a half later. The Eunpyeong district fire station in southern Seoul identified the victims as Cho Gi-hyun, 45, Kim Gyu-jae, 41, and Byeon Jae-woo, 35.
The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.
