(Updates death toll, adds quote)

SEOUL, Jan 7 (Reuters) - At least 22 people were killed and 17 others reported missing on Monday after a fire ripped through a warehouse for frozen and refrigerated goods under construction near Seoul, a fire official said.

"The death toll is rising," the official told Reuters by telephone.

The blaze at Icheon, about 60 km (40 miles) southeast of the capital, has led to several explosions.

Firefighters rescued 10 people who were then taken to hospital. Heavy smoke from chemicals at the site has slowed the search for other victims, the official said.

More than 250 firefighters have been dispatched, local media reported. The cause of the blaze was unknown. (Reporting by Rhee So-eui and Cheon Jong-woo; Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Alex Richardson)

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