SEOUL, Feb 14, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Six people were killed and more than two dozen were injured when a blaze ripped through a hotel construction site in the South Korean port city of Busan on Friday, the National Fire Agency said.

The fire started just before 11:00 am (0200 GMT) at the construction site of the Banyan Tree Hotel, authorities said.

Around 100 workers were present when the blaze erupted, a National Fire Agency official told AFP.

Twenty-five people were injured, a public health department official said, adding that most were minor injuries caused by smoke inhalation.

"The fire had already reached its peak by the time we arrived and thick black smoke was covering the scene," Busan Gijang Fire Station chief Hong Mun-sik told reporters.

"There were many flammable materials blocking the entrance," Hong said.

The fire broke out on the first floor of the building where workers had stored insulation materials, Hong said, and the fatalities occurred where the fire started.

"The exact cause and location of the fire need to be thoroughly investigated," Hong said.

The fire was brought under control around 1:30 pm.