Eleven people are confirmed dead and three remain missing after a fire ripped through an auto parts factory in Daejeon, South Korea, on Friday, prompting a large-scale rescue operation and raising concerns about the handling of hazardous materials at the facility.
The fire broke out around 1:00 p.m. Local time at the auto parts plant, sending thick plumes of gray smoke into the sky. More than 500 firefighters, police, and emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene, struggling to contain the blaze and search for survivors. According to officials, approximately 170 workers were inside the building when the fire began, with some forced to jump from upper floors to escape the flames.
As of Saturday morning, rescuers had recovered the remains of eleven individuals. “We understand that 11 are dead, 25 are seriously injured,” an official from the interior ministry’s department that handles fires and other disasters told AFP. Another 34 people sustained injuries that were not life-threatening, and the search continues for the three still unaccounted for, believed to be trapped under collapsed debris.
Firefighters faced significant challenges in battling the blaze, hampered by fears of structural collapse. Crews initially focused on preventing the fire from spreading to neighboring facilities and mitigating the risk posed by the storage of approximately 200 kilograms (440 pounds) of highly reactive chemicals at the site, Channel NewsAsia reported. Yonhap news agency indicated that the factory stored sodium, a substance that can explode if not handled properly.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, though witnesses reported hearing an explosion prior to the outbreak. Nam Deuk-woo, fire chief of Daedeok District, stated the initial cause was not immediately known.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung ordered the full mobilization of personnel and equipment to support the rescue efforts. The response included the deployment of evacuation aircraft, unmanned water cannon vehicles, and specialized firefighting robots designed to operate in hazardous environments. These robots were utilized to cool the building’s structure and conduct safety inspections, facilitating the search for missing workers late Friday, the Associated Press reported.
Rescuers located one body on the second floor and nine others in what is believed to have been a gym on the third floor. By Saturday afternoon, the fire was extinguished, but the fate of the three remaining missing workers remains uncertain. The investigation into the cause of the fire and the circumstances surrounding the storage of hazardous materials is ongoing.
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