A joint investigation team has launched a probe into the cause of a deadly fire that charred an outlet mall in the central city of Daejeon, killing seven people and leaving another seriously injured.

The team of 40 investigators consisting of the police, fire authorities and forensic experts began their inspection of Hyundai Premium Outlet on Tuesday morning, one day after the blaze began. 

They are expected to closely study an underground cargo loading zone where the fire is believed to have started, with surveillance footage showing flames around a one-ton truck after the driver had parked the vehicle in the area to unload cargo.
 
Investigators will likely look into whether the sprinklers and the smoke control system were working properly at the time of the fire, while also determining whether Hyundai Department Store, the outlet's operator, had fixed the fire detection and warning devices found to be faulty during an earlier inspection in June.

The prosecution plans to form its own support team of investigators, while the labor ministry has begun to consider potential charges, including possible violations of the Serious Disasters Punishment Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act by Hyundai Department Store.