South Korea Hospital Fire: At least 37 killed, dozens injured at hospital in Miryang city

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To South Korea, now, where at least 37 people are dead after a fire tore through a hospital. President Moon Jae-in visited the ravaged institution to offer his condolences to the victims' families. The blaze is the country's deadliest in nearly a decade. Shane Hahm reports from the scene.

Calls of a fire at the local hospital first came in at about 7:30 in the morning. Within minutes, firefighters in Miryang, South Korea arrived on the scene to find smoke billowing throughout the building. They were able to contain the blaze within a few hours, but by them the damage had already been done.

CHOI MAN-WOO HEAD OF MIRYANG FIRE STATION "We prevented the fire from spreading to the second floor in the early stages so that we could secure the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th floors."

Investigators believe the fire began near the hospital's 1st floor emergency room. All the victims were discovered in the main ward. Patients in the adjacent nursing home evacuated in time. Fire escape chutes hanging from the side of the building show just how dangerous and dramatic the scene was.

CHO MEE-AE MIRYANG RESIDENT "I climbed up to my roof and then I saw the fire. So I put my clothes on and came out here. I saw grandmothers in wheelchairs coming out with blankets covering their bodies but their legs were exposed. They were being put into ambulances."

Miryang is a city of about 100,000 and is known for its natural mountainous landscape. But now officials are left to explain how such a disaster occurred in this quaint, peaceful town.

PARK IL-HO MIRYANG CITY MAYOR "I deeply apologize for the disaster which occurred at Sejong hospital in Miryang. I would like to express my deep condolences to the victims and their families."

SHANE HAHM MIRYANG "Investigations into the exact cause of the fire will continue tomorrow as soon as day breaks. Meanwhile, the city of Miryang will be setting up a joint memorial altar for people to come and pay their respects to those that lost their lives in this tragic incident. Shane Hahm, CGTN, Miryang, South Korea."