Taiwan hotel fire kills seven

Police say a pre-dawn fire at a small Taipei hotel has killed four Taiwanese men and three Malaysian women.

Police say the victims were apparently sleeping when the fire broke out. They say a hotel manager identified three of the victims as Malaysian women who were scheduled to return home later Monday.

Television footage showed the destroyed four-story, 20-room hotel in a back alley surrounded by old apartment buildings. CTI Cable News said the hotel has only one narrow fire exit, making an escape difficult.