Seven people were killed and three others were injured Sunday morning as a fire broke out at a hotel in Hiroshima Prefecture in southwestern Japan, local press reported.

The fire occurred at the Hotel Prince in Fukuyama City in the prefecture at around 7 a.m. local time. Three men and four women were killed while three others were injured, one was in critical condition, the report said.

Local police said that some 20 guests were staying at the three- story hotel when the accident took place.

The cause of the fire, which was extinguished shortly after 10 a.m., remains unknown.