KATHMANDU: A Nepali migrant worker was killed when a massive fire swept through an inn in Seosan City, South Korea, today morning. The deceased has been identified as 35-year-old Shyam Bahadur Gurung.

Manoj Shrestha, a close acquaintance of Gurung, told this daily over the telephone that he was killed due to suffocation and burns. Gurung was working as a construction worker in South Korea since October, 2000. However, information about his home address in Nepal was sketchy.

According to international news agencies, the fire broke out early in the morning and Gurung was the only Nepali among the three persons killed in the blaze. Seven others were also injured. The inn, Eupnae-dong, located in northern Seosan was built some 40 years ago. Smoke during fire was very thick as the building was old, the police reported. The inn, being cheap was a popular residence for labourers.

Meanwhile, authorities were still investigating the cause of the fire, as preliminary reports suggested that either a short-circuit or an overheat broke out the fire in the inn.

South Korea is one of the lucrative destinations for Nepali youths seeking foreign employment. Around 7,500 Nepalis, 3,000 under the Employment Permit System (EPS), included, have been working there.