"Until now, 17 people died, among them 14 foreign nationals, the majority from the Philippines," regional health ministry spokesman Fakher Harki said of the fire in the city of Arbil.

Dozens more people were injured by the blaze and have been taken to hospital, Harki said.

Nawzad Hadi, the governor of Arbil province, said preliminary information indicated that the cause of the fire was an electrical problem in the hotel's sauna.

The fire took place at the Capitol Hotel, a four-star hotel with rooms costing from $100-$240 per night.

The hotel's website says it has a 740-square-metre (2,580-square-foot) spa that includes saunas and a pool, with various massages on offer.

The Kurdistan region is in north Iraq, but has largely been spared the deadly violence that plagues other parts of the country.

The region is frequently visited by tourists from other areas of Iraq and various countries in the region.