Nine people were killed, including three migrant workers from Sri Lanka, and 25 others injured when a fire raged through a karaoke facility in Busan, police said Sunday.

The blaze broke out in one of the 28 rooms at the karaoke lounge on the third floor of a six-story building in the southeastern port city around 8:55 p.m. Saturday, causing smoke to spread quickly through the facility and customers to panic, witnesses and police said.

All of the nine fatal victims -- seven men and two women -- died from inhaling toxic gases, police said. The dead include three Sri Lankans who were holding a company party with three other Korean colleagues.

One of the injuries was serious, but the others were non-life threatening, police said. Police said smoke apparently made customers unable to find exits and led to the large toll. (yonhapnews)