Police officers stand guard at the entrance of a hotel in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, Aug. 23. Yonhap

A short circuit or other electrical causes are believed to have sparked a fire at a hotel in Bucheon, west of Seoul, a fire official said Friday, after the tragedy left seven dead and a dozen others injured.

Cho Seon-ho, chief of the Gyeonggi-do Fire Services, made the remark during a briefing to Interior Minister Lee Sang-min visiting the fire site, saying a guest had smelled burning after entering Room 810, where the fire started, and asked the hotel for a room change.

"We believe an electrical factor is the most likely cause," Cho said.

Firefighters suspect the fire began in the empty room and smoke rapidly spread.

"Motels tend to have narrow corridors and accumulate large amounts of heat, making it difficult for guests to evacuate," Cho said.

The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency said it formed an 84-person investigation team to look into why the deadly blaze occurred on the eighth floor of the nine-story hotel in Bucheon, 20 kilometers west of Seoul, at 7:39 p.m. Thursday.

Firefighters put out the fire in about three hours but as many as seven hotel guests in their 20s to 50s lost their lives. Of the 12 injured, three are said to be in serious condition.

The police agency said the investigation will be focused on determining the cause of the fire and possible negligence in building management.

The investigation team was set to conduct a joint on-site inspection at the fire scene at 11 a.m., together with firefighters and personnel from the National Forensic Service, it noted. (Yonhap)