14 people have died, and almost 60 are injured after a fire broke out at a car parts factory. As reported by The New York Times, the fire broke out on Friday, March 20.
The tragic incident happened in Daejeon, South Korea. The city is close to the capital city, Seoul, sitting around 100 miles away.
While we aren’t sure of the exact cause of the fire, it has been reported that it could have been an explosion. Four people were reported missing, but the firefighters have now said that everyone has been accounted for.
In a tragic turn of events, several people had to jump from their windows to avoid the fire. Others suffered smoke inhalation before being rescued. Overall, 25 of the nearly 60 injuries were deemed as serious injuries, but it isn’t clear whether their conditions are life-threatening.
Nam Deuk-woo, a local fire department chief, explained that the reason why the blaze got so big was because the firefighters couldn’t get in there immediately. It turns out that there were 200 lbs of chemicals in the plant. And they would have turned explosive when mixed with water.
As the factory had a steel frame, search and rescue operations were delayed for some time.
This Is the Second Deadliest Fire in Recent Memory for South Koreans
This tragic fire comes in the wake of an incident at a South Korean battery plant in 2024. The blaze killed 22, as reported by the New York Times.
The fire happened in a building in Hwaseong, 28 miles away from the capital, Seoul. Most of the workers who died were Chinese migrant workers.
Kim Jin-young, at Hwaesong Fire Department, explained that 102 people were working in the building when the blaze first broke out. The factory floor was filled with smoke and flames within a matter of 15 seconds.
Most of the deaths tragically happened when the workers attempted to run for their lives after battling the blaze with fire extinguishers. They went to an era with no exit sign, according to Jo Seon-ho, a senior official.
May the victims of both of these fires rest in peace. What a tragedy.