Daejeon factory blaze in Korea leaves 14 dead and dozens injured

Korea factory fire kills 14

A fire at a car parts factory in Daejeon, South Korea, killed 14 people and injured nearly 60 others after breaking out on Friday afternoon.

The Guardian reported that about 170 workers were believed to have been inside the three-storey building when the fire started.

Firefighters later confirmed that all of the people initially reported missing had been accounted for after a search of the wreckage.

The fire was not fully extinguished until Saturday afternoon local time.

Video footage from the scene appeared to show workers jumping from the first floor as the fire spread through the building.

Nam Deuk-woo, a local fire chief, told the New York Times that the fire had spread so quickly that by the time firefighters arrived, workers had already started jumping out of windows.

Response delayed by collapse risk and chemicals

The Guardian reported that firefighters faced delays in reaching the building because of concerns that the structure could collapse and because sodium stored on site had to be removed before water could be applied.

Sodium can explode when mixed with water, according to the report.

More than 200kg of highly reactive chemicals were recovered from the site.

Large plumes of black smoke were seen rising from the steel-framed building as crews used cranes to direct water onto the fire.

More than 500 firefighters, police and emergency personnel were deployed to the scene.

Two unmanned firefighting robots were also used to cool the building and reach areas that were too dangerous or difficult for rescuers to access.

Emergency workers said some of the injured suffered smoke inhalation and others were hurt after jumping from the building.

Nine of the 14 victims were found in a third-floor space reportedly used as a gym locker room.

Some of the deceased were so badly burned that DNA testing was required to confirm their identities, according to the New York Times.

Investigation continues after deadly Korea blaze

The Guardian reported that the cause of the fire remains under investigation and that a witness told Yonhap news agency they had heard an explosion before the blaze.

Fire officials told Reuters that the factory is owned by car parts supplier Anjun Industrial, which makes engine valves and supplies companies including Hyundai and Kia.

The incident is the deadliest factory fire in South Korea since 2024, when 23 workers died at a lithium battery plant in Hwaseong near Seoul.

Following that incident, the chief executive of battery manufacturer Aricell was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

South Korea’s president, Lee Jae Myung, has called for improved worker protections, with official statistics showing that more than 10,000 people died at work in the country between 2000 and 2024.

In a statement on the company’s website, chief executive Sohn Ju-hwan said that the company would fully cooperate with authorities, investigate the cause of the accident, review its safety systems and inspections and swiftly implement all necessary measures to prevent a recurrence.