Daejeon: A fire broke out at a car parts plant in the central city of Daejeon on Friday, 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, "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, officials said.

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 80 percent of the fire had been extinguished as of around 7 p.m.

The plant consists of two buildings, one of which has completely burned down, while the other continues to burn. Firefighters have not been able to enter the structure due to concerns it could collapse. Complicating the firefighting effort is 200 kilograms of sodium inside the building, which could explode if poorly handled. Authorities plan to begin search operations after conducting a safety inspection to ensure structural stability.

Nam Deuk-woo, chief of Daedeok Fire Station in Daejeon, said, "Due to the risk of collapse, it is difficult to enter the building to fully extinguish the fire. It is expected to take a long time to clear the smoldering debris." Unmanned firefighting robots have been deployed to search the first floor.