Fourteen missing after S Korean car parts factory fire

Fire officials said that 55 people were injured, 24 of them seriously, in a fire at an auto parts factory in Daejeon, South Korea, and 14 people were unaccounted for.

The South Korean government activated a centralized disaster management system for the large-scale accident after President Lee Jae Myung ordered the mobilization of all available resources to fight the fire and save lives.

14 people are missing and it is feared that more lives will be lost.

Telephone data showed that there were places close to where the fire broke out, but officials said that the search efforts were disrupted due to the partial collapse of the building in the fire.

Fire officials said many employees are believed to have been in the second-floor break room when the fire started.

Authorities added that some people who jumped from the building to escape were injured.

Authorities said that as of 18:00, approximately 80 percent of the fire was under control.

Fire officials said the auto parts supplier that owns the plant is Anjun Industrial, which says on its website that it makes engine valves and is a supplier to Hyundai Motor and Kia Corp, among others.

Officials at Anjun were not immediately available for comment.