Fire at Korean car parts factory kills 14, injures 60
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Heavy smoke rising following a fire at a car parts plant in Daejeon on March 20.
PHOTO: AFP
SEOUL – Fourteen people died and 25 were seriously injured in a fire at a car parts factory in the South Korean city of Daejeon, the fire authorities said on March 21.
The fire broke out around lunchtime on March 20 and was contained by 11.48pm (10.48pm Singapore time), the Safety Ministry said.
Another 35 people suffered minor injuries, the fire authorities added.
They said the factory was owned by Anjun Industrial, which makes engine valves and is a supplier for Hyundai Motor and Kia Corp, among others, according to its website.
Reuters was unable to contact Anjun for comment. In a statement on the company’s website, chief executive Sohn Ju-hwan apologised, adding that it would fully cooperate with the authorities, investigate the cause of the accident, review its safety systems and inspections, and swiftly implement all necessary measures to prevent a recurrence.
Fire crews were initially unable to enter the factory in the central city of Daejeon due to the risk of the building collapsing.
The response was also hampered by sodium stored at the site, which can explode if improperly handled, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.
Around 170 workers were at the plant when the fire erupted, according to Yonhap.
Officials have not said what may have caused the fire, which spread rapidly. A witness told Yonhap about hearing an explosion.
Fire crews could be seen shooting water onto the site from cranes while a thick column of black smoke filled the sky in images released by Yonhap.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung told officials to mobilise all available resources – including personnel and equipment – for rescue operations, his office said.
Mr Lee has called for better protection for the country’s workers, more than 10,000 of whom died on the job from 2000 to 2024, according to official statistics.
In September, South Korea sentenced the CEO of battery maker Aricell to 15 years in prison over one of the country’s worst industrial fires.
The 2024 blaze at the lithium battery factory in Hwaseong, south of capital Seoul, killed 22 people, most of them Chinese nationals.
In its verdict, the Suwon District Court said the company had prioritised profit over workers’ safety. AFP, REUTERS
