Today, March 20, a major fire broke out at an auto parts manufacturing plant located in the city of Daejeon, South Korea. According to the Yonhap news agency, at least 53 people were injured as a result of the incident, and another 14 people are considered missing.
The report about the fire came in around 13:17. Following this, the National Fire Agency ordered the mobilization of forces across the entire country. Such a decision is made when the scale of a fire exceeds local capabilities.
It is reported that there were 170 workers at the plant at the time of the incident. Contact has not yet been established with 14 of them. The majority of the victims, including 24 people in serious condition, inhaled toxic gas or fell from the building.
More than 200 firefighters and 90 pieces of equipment have been mobilized to extinguish the fire, and forestry service helicopters are also assisting. One of the plant's two buildings has completely burned down, and the second is still on fire. Firefighters cannot enter the building due to the risk of collapse.
Furthermore, the presence of 200 kilograms of sodium in the building is complicating firefighting efforts, as improper handling could lead to an explosion. President Lee Jae-myung ordered officials to mobilize all resources to rescue the victims and bring the fire under control.
