LONDON, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- One person died and six others are missing after fire swept through a hotel in Cornwall, southwest England, on Saturday morning, according to the Sky News.

    Emergency services were called to the four-storey Penhallow hotel in Newquay, a resort town on the north coast of Cornwall, just after midnight, and around 100 firefighters took more than two hours to bring the blaze under control, the report said.

    Over 80 people were evacuated from the building, and three were taken to a local hospital.

    A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman said he could not say if the person killed was a man or a woman.

    Deputy chief fire officer Ted Simpson said his men were searching for six people believed to be missing.

    "We don't really know how many people are inside at this stage. We are still trying to locate as many people as we can." said Simpson.

    "It's the height of the season and the hotel would be busy. It can take up to 80 residents." he added.

    Simpson said the cause of the fire was not known but an investigation had been launched to find out.