Daejeon: A fire broke out at a car parts plant in the central city of Daejeon, injuring at least 55 people, with 14 others unaccounted for, authorities said. The fire was reported at around 1:17 p.m., prompting the National Fire Agency to issue a national firefighting mobilization order, which is given when the scale of the fire is deemed to surpass the firefighting capacity of the local government.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety ordered the formation of a central disaster response headquarters to handle the accident in a more coordinated manner and prevent further damage. Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung stated that the government will make the utmost effort to manage the situation, carry out recovery work, and support the victims.
A total of 170 workers were inside the plant when the blaze started, and 14 of them have been unreachable. Of the injured, including 24 with serious injuries, many had inhaled toxic gas or fallen from the building. More than 200 firefighters and 90 pieces of equipment have been deployed to the scene to put out the blaze, aided by helicopters from the forestry service.
Fire authorities reported that more than 95 percent of the fire had been extinguished as of around 8:30 p.m. However, they have yet to find the point of origin. Due to concerns about building collapse, firefighters have not been able to enter the structure. Complicating the effort is 200 kilograms of sodium inside the building, which could explode if poorly handled.
Authorities are conducting an inspection to determine whether it is safe for firefighters to enter the building. They are prepared to begin overnight search operations once conditions allow entry. Nam Deuk-woo, chief of Daedeok Fire Station in Daejeon, mentioned that it is expected to take a long time to clear the smoldering debris due to the risk of collapse.
Unmanned firefighting robots have been deployed to lower temperatures inside, and drones are being used to locate missing people and provide an overview of the situation. Most people at the factory were believed to have been on the second floor where a break room is located, as the fire broke out around break time.
The parking lot on the third floor and the rooftop on the fourth floor have been most severely damaged. President Lee Jae Myung ordered authorities to mobilize all available resources to rescue victims and contain the fire. He expressed hope in a social media post that the missing people will be accounted for soon.
President Lee pledged a thorough government assessment of the damage and swift steps for necessary support and follow-up measures. Prime Minister Kim Min-seok gave similar instructions to the interior ministry and the fire agency, while ordering the Daejeon metropolitan government and the police to prevent further damage by implementing traffic control and evacuation measures.