Dormitory Fire Kills 37 in S. Korea
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SEOUL — At least 37 women were killed and about 16 others injured early today when a fire broke out in the dormitory of a vocational training institute, South Korean television said.
The Korean Broadcasting System said the death toll at the institute for rehabilitating prostitutes and female petty criminals was high because all windows at the dormitory had steel bars and exits were locked to prevent trainees from running away.
The fire broke out about 2 a.m. at the Kyonggi Women’s Technical School in Yongin, 35 miles south of Seoul. More than 100 women were in the dormitory. Police said the fire appeared to have been set deliberately, the KBS television network said.
Officials said the death toll could rise.
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