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 every 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 more than 95 percent of the fire had been extinguished as of around 8:30 p.m., though they have yet to find the point of origin.
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 said an inspection is underway to determine whether it is safe for firefighters to enter the building, adding they are ready to begin overnight search operations once conditions allow them to enter.
Nam Deuk-woo, chief of Daedeok Fire Station in Daejeon, stated that due to the risk of collapse, it is difficult to enter the building to fully extinguish the fire, and it is expected to take a long time to clear the smoldering debris. The steel structures inside the building have been warped by the heat, and unmanned firefighting robots have been deployed to lower the temperatures inside. Drones are also being used to locate the missing people and get an overview of the situation after the fire.
Most of the people at the factory are believed to have been on the second floor where a break room for employees is located, as the fire broke out around break time. The parking lot on the third floor and rooftop on the fourth floor have been most severely damaged by the fire.
President Lee Jae Myung ordered authorities to mobilize all available resources to rescue the victims and contain the fire. Earlier, 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 ensure no further damage by implementing traffic control and evacuation measures.