SEOUL: Defective wiring is suspected to have caused the deadly South Korean hospital fire that killed dozens and injured more than 150, police said, as public anger swelled over the country’s worst fire disaster in a decade. The huge blaze that erupted at the hospital in the southeastern city of Miryang Friday killed at least 38 people including 35 patients — mostly elderly women — and three medical staff. Authorities are still investigating the exact cause of the hospital fire but preliminary on-site inspection has suggested possible defects in the wiring in the first-floor ceiling of what used to be an office pantry. The hospital did not have fire sprinklers as it was not large enough to be required to install them under local safety rules. President Moon Jae-In visited the memorial to console grieving relatives and promised to improve safety regulations after inspecting the gutted hospital.

Source: Manila Times January 28, 2018 09:45 UTC