SEOUL: A fire broke out in the parking tower of a hospital in the South Korean city of Daegu on Thursday, forcing about 200 inpatients to evacuate, officials said.

One of the evacuated, a woman in her 70s, complained of difficulty in breathing and was taken to a nearby hospital, Yonhap News Agency quoted the fire officials as saying.

The fire of unknown origin began at 3 a.m. at the hospital parking tower in Daegu's Dalseo district, and the main blaze was extinguished about two hours later, after about 170 firefighters and 65 fire trucks and other equipment were mobilised, they added.

The city's fire authorities and police plan to investigate the exact cause of the fire.