At least 14 people killed in fire at South Korean car parts factory | South Korea
14 people died and approximately 60 people were injured in a fire at an auto parts factory in South Korea.
Fire crews said that the number of all missing people was determined after a search in the rubble of the three-storey building.
Video footage of the fire at the factory in Daejeon showed people apparently jumping from the first floor to escape.
Local fire chief Nam Deuk-woo told the New York Times that the fire spread so quickly that workers were already jumping out of windows when firefighters arrived.
Around 170 workers are believed to have been at the factory when the fire was reported on Friday afternoon. It was not extinguished until Saturday afternoon local time.
Fire crews were delayed in reaching the building for fear that the building would collapse, and could not immediately spray water on the fire because sodium, which can explode when mixed with water, was stored in the area and had to be removed first.
More than 200 kg of highly reactive chemicals were seized at the site.
Black smoke clouds were seen rising from the steel-framed building as firefighters sprayed water from cranes. More than 500 firefighters, police and emergency personnel were sent to the scene, as well as two unmanned firefighting robots to cool the building and provide access to areas too dangerous or difficult for rescuers to reach.
Emergency officials said some of those injured were affected by smoke, while others were injured by jumping from the building. nine out of 14 people It was reported that those who died in the fire were found in an area used as a gym locker room on the third floor.
Some of the dead were so badly burned that DNA tests were needed to help identify them, according to the New York Times.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire, but an eyewitness told South Korea’s Yonhap news agency that he heard an explosion.
It is the deadliest fire at a factory in South Korea since 23 workers died at a lithium battery factory in Hwaseong, near Seoul, in 2024. The CEO of battery manufacturer Aricell was later sentenced to 15 years in prison for this incident.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has called for better protection for the country’s workers, more than 10,000 of whom will die at work from 2000 to 2024, according to official statistics.
Fire officials told Reuters that the auto parts supplier that owns the factory is Anjun Industrial, which makes engine valves and is also a supplier to Hyundai and Kia, according to its website.
In a statement on the company’s website, CEO Sohn Ju-hwan said the company will fully cooperate with authorities, investigate the cause of the accident, review its safety systems and controls, and quickly implement all necessary measures to prevent a recurrence.
