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Background: Seoul- November 3rd, 1974 At least 78 people were killed when pre-dawn fire raged through a nightclub and hotel in a seven-storey building in eastern Seoul, this morning.

Police reported that about 27 others suffering burns or injured in a stampede of people rushing to escape. About 40 other people were rescued by extension ladder. According to a hotel employee, this second worst hotel Fire started at 2.50 am (local) in a sixth floor hotel room when a mattress caught fire from a cigarette. The fire spread through the sixty and seventh floors before it was put under control after about three hours.

Police and fie fighters recovered the 78 bodies -- 59 of them in the nightclub and others from corridors on the sixth floor of the seven-story DAIWANG CORNER BUILDING, which also accommodates a bank, apartment blocks and stores.

About 20 people slid down a big sign-board by the side of the building. The other six people crashed to death when they jumped out of the windows. More than 200 people were believed packed into the nightclub when the fire broke out and survivors had to break through windows as the doors were closed -- apparently to prevent them from failing to pay their bills, police sources said.

It was only two weeks ago (October 17th) 19 people, including four Japanese and a chinese, were killed when fire gutted the nine-story New Namsan Hotel. Seouls worst hotel fire occurred on Cristmas day 1971 when 22-storey DAIYUNGAK HOTEL fire was burnt with more than 160 killed.