Daejeon: Six executives of the Daejeon-based auto parts maker, Anjun Industrial Co., have been prohibited from leaving the country following a devastating factory fire that resulted in 14 fatalities and injured 60 others. The Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency announced the exit ban on Thursday, focusing investigations on CEO Son Ju-hwan and other key figures within the company.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the police have interrogated 53 company officials and are conducting a digital forensic analysis on 256 seized items, including company computers and personal mobile phones. These actions aim to uncover the cause of the blaze and the high number of casualties. The tragic incident occurred at Anjun Industrial's plant in the Munpyeong-dong district of Daejeon, approximately 140 kilometers south of Seoul.

Preliminary findings suggest that the evacuation was hindered due to a malfunctioning fire alarm. Statements from the questioned officials indicate that the alarm ceased shortly after activation, leading workers to mistakenly believe it was a false alert. "While the initial outbreak of the fire and the subsequent rapid spread of combustion are important, the fact that many people were unable to evacuate in time and suffered heavy casualties is equally significant," a police investigator stated during a media briefing.

The investigation seeks to determine why the alarm stopped, who might have deactivated it, and whether a system failure contributed to the tragedy. The police continue to explore these angles in their ongoing inquiry.