SEOUL - A fire broke out at a hospital in Seoul on Saturday (Feb 3) morning, but no casualties have yet to be reported, firemen and hospital officials said.

This is the second hospital fire in South Korea in a week after at least 37 people were killed in another incident on Jan 26.

Saturday's fire, which began at 7.59am in a third-floor food court of the main building of Severance Hospital in Shinchon in western Seoul, was presumed to be caused by a short circuit, Yonhap news agency reported.

The fire was extinguished at around 9am and rescue workers are searching through the hospital building thick with smoke and toxic gases, officials said.

According to the officials, no injuries were reported but eight people who inhaled smoke were transferred to other buildings of the hospital complex, one of the largest in South Korea.

Shortly after the fire, about 300 people, including patients, were guided by firemen to escape from the building.

At least 37 people were killed and more than 70 injured in an early morning fire at Sejong Hospital in Miryang city, prompting President Moon Jae In to call for additional efforts to prevent unnecessary casualties and damage in accidents.