A fire at a car parts factory in Daejeon, South Korea, has killed 14 people and injured 59 others, according to local fire officials. The blaze broke out on Friday afternoon and was not fully extinguished until Saturday afternoon, local time. Around 170 workers were believed to be inside the three-storey building at the time.
Firefighters faced delays in accessing the site due to fears of collapse and the presence of over 200kg of highly reactive chemicals, including sodium, which can explode when mixed with water. These had to be removed before water could be used. Video footage showed people jumping from the first floor to escape the rapidly spreading fire.
Nine of the 14 victims were found inside a third-floor gym locker room. Some of the deceased were so badly burned that DNA tests were required for identification. The injured suffered from smoke inhalation or injuries sustained while jumping from the building.
More than 500 firefighters, police and emergency personnel were deployed, along with two unmanned firefighting robots. The cause of the fire is under investigation, though a witness reported hearing an explosion. The factory is owned by Anjun Industrial, a supplier of engine valves to Hyundai and Kia.
South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung called for better worker protection, noting that over 10,000 workers died at work between 2000 and 2024. Anjun Industrial's CEO Sohn Ju-hwan pledged full cooperation with authorities and a review of safety systems to prevent a recurrence.
