A fire ripped through a motel in western Seoul, leaving one dead and 33 other people injured, firefighters said Sunday.

The fire began in a parking lot on the first floor of a motel at about 9:30 p.m. on Saturday and quickly spread to another motel connected by a passageway.

A total of 90 people, including 42 Chinese tourists, were staying in the two motels at that time. The blaze was extinguished in about 40 minutes but claimed one life in the first motel.

A 43-year-old woman who was staying in a room located in the upper part of the motel was killed, while 32 other guests have received hospital treatment for smoke inhalation.

A firefighter was also treated for symptoms of a concussion after being hit on the head by a marble tile during the rescue operation.

Police and firefighters were trying to determine the exact cause of the fire and whether fire alarms and sprinklers worked or not.

Guests of the motels said in television interviews that they haven't heard any alarm sound at the time of the accident.

The fire came a day after 16 people were killed and 11 others injured when a ventilation grate gave way at an outdoor concert in Seongnam, a city southeast of Seoul. (Yonhap)