At least seven people were killed, and scores more were injured as a fire swept through an office building in the city of Daegu, South Korea, due to suspected arson, according to local fire and police officials.

The fire, which broke out on the second floor of a seven-story office building near the city's district court in the late morning, was quickly extinguished by dozens of firefighters and trucks.

There were seven confirmed fatalities, including an unnamed guy who authorities believe started the fire in an attorney's office.

At least 41 individuals were injured, primarily from smoke inhalation, and 26 of them were being treated at neighboring hospitals, according to Park Seok-jin, the Suseong district fire chief in Daegu.

Park stated that no more persons were trapped in the structure.

According to Park, the relatively high death toll in a short time was perhaps due to the lack of sprinklers on the building's office levels. When questioned whether there were violations of legally mandated safety standards, Park did not respond explicitly.

Jeong Hyeon-wook, an official with the Daegu Metropolitan Police, stated that surveillance footage showed the suspect leaving his residence while holding a container that may have been used to start the fire.

According to Jeong, all of the bodies were discovered in the same room, and authorities are currently examining probable motives.

In addition, a team from the National Forensic Services was dispatched to the scene.

Jeong stated that it is uncertain whether anyone will be charged for the fire now that the suspect is deceased unless police locate an accomplice.

The affluent business sector of Beomeo-dong in Daegu, South Korea's fourth-largest city with a population of more than 2.6 million, was the location of the fire, according to photographs provided by South Korean news outlets.

Other images depicted smashed windows, which Park explained resulted from rescue efforts.

According to the ministry, South Korea's minister of the interior and safety, Lee Sang-min, urged officials to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the fire and provide immediate assistance to the injured and families of the victims.

In 2003, one of the deadliest arson incidents in South Korean history occurred in Daegu, when a 56-year-old man set fire to a subway train, killing 192 people.