53 injured, 14 missing in S. Korea's auto parts factory fire
A
large-scale fire broke out on Friday in South Korea's automotive parts
manufacturing factory, leaving 53 injured and 14 others missing, according to
Yonhap news agency.
The
blaze started at about 1:17 p.m. local time (0417 GMT) at the factory in
Daejeon, around 140 km southeast of capital Seoul.
As
of 3:30 p.m. local time, 24 people were seriously wounded and 29 people
suffered slight injuries.
Some
of the victims suffered smoke inhalation, while others sustained injuries after
jumping from the burning plant.
Of
the 170 employees working inside the factory at the time of the incident, 14
remained unaccounted for.
Less
than an hour after the initial report, the National Fire Agency issued a national
fire mobilization order to deploy firefighting resources from other regions to
the affected area.
About
90 fire trucks and equipment as well as some 200 firefighters were dispatched
to the scene, while the Korea Forest Service helicopters helped battle the
blaze.
Rescue
workers had yet to enter the factory due to the risk of building collapse and
chemical explosions.
One
of the two prefabricated buildings of the factory, connected by a walkway, was
completely destroyed, and the flames spread to the other building.
Inside
the building, about 200 kg of sodium was reportedly stored, raising the risk of
explosions.
xinhua
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