With a massive fire at Anjeon Industry in Daedeok-gu, Daejeon leaving more than 50 people injured, 14 people remain unaccounted for. Fire authorities said they are using cellphone location tracking and believe the missing people are in the factory's break room.
According to fire authorities on the 20th, 156 of the 170 workers have been located. The whereabouts of the 14 people who cannot be reached are being confirmed.
Fire authorities, through cellphone location tracking, believe the last place the unreachable individuals stayed was the second-floor break room. They noted that the fire broke out around lunchtime, so employees appear to have been in the break room.
A total of 55 casualties have been confirmed so far. Of them, 35 were transported to nearby hospitals. There are 24 with serious injuries and 11 with minor injuries. The remaining 20 had minor injuries and went home after on-site treatment.
The fire was reported at about 1:17 p.m. The three-story steel-frame factory building (total floor area 10,318 square meters) consists of two wings connected by a passageway; the building where the fire started was completely burned, and the flames spread to the adjacent building.
With concerns raised about a possible building collapse, the National Fire Agency deployed an unmanned firefighting robot to lower the interior temperature. This followed a warning from a building safety assessment expert that "because the building has a steel frame structure, there is a risk of collapse due to deformation from the fire's heat." The National Fire Agency is reviewing when to send in rescue crews.
Fire authorities also decided to secure both efficiency and safety in the search for the missing by drawing up a detailed search plan using the building's design blueprints.
In addition, they decided to secure lighting equipment for nighttime rescue operations and keep heavy equipment on standby at the site for immediate deployment if needed. To support the families of those who cannot be reached, the fire authorities and local governments plan to jointly operate a family support system.
President Lee Jae-myung, regarding the fire, ordered, "Mobilize all available resources, including equipment and personnel, for accident response and lifesaving."
Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-jung also visited the fire scene on the day and presided over the first meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH), saying, "We will mobilize the government's full capabilities and make every effort to minimize casualties and property damage." He also ordered one-on-one dedicated public officials to be assigned to each victim and the establishment of a Central Joint Disaster Victim Support Center.