A fire broke out on the afternoon of the 20th at an auto parts manufacturing plant in Munpyeong-dong, Daedeok-gu, Daejeon, and fire authorities began suppression efforts. Of those who came to work that day, 14 are still out of contact.
Nam Deuk-woo, chief of the Daedeok Fire Station, briefed on the fire situation at about 3:40 p.m., saying, "Of the 170 people who came to work today, 156 have been confirmed, and the remaining 14 are unreachable."
So far, a total of 55 people have been injured. There are 24 seriously injured and 31 with minor injuries. There are no reports of anyone in cardiac arrest. After first aid, the injured are being dispersed to nearby base hospitals including Chungnam National University Hospital, Eulji University Hospital, Konyang University Hospital, and Yuseong Sun Hospital.
Fire authorities were dispatched after receiving a fire report at about 1:17 p.m. As the flames spread, a national firefighting mobilization order was declared starting at 1:53 p.m. So far, a total of 511 personnel and 124 pieces of equipment, including related agencies such as the fire department, police, and public health centers, have been deployed to the scene.
However, sodium is being stored inside the plant, making it difficult to extinguish the fire with water. Fire authorities removed 102 kg out of 200 kg of sodium that had been inside the plant.
Given the characteristics of explosion and chemical disasters that make access to the scene difficult, they also deployed ▲ an unmanned destructive water cannon vehicle ▲ two unmanned firefighting robots ▲ and a high-capacity foam discharge system. Three firefighting helicopters have been dispatched, with two more on standby for dispatch.
National Fire Agency Commissioner Kim Seung-ryong said, "We are concentrating all firefighting resources to prevent further damage and will do our best to stabilize the scene and prepare for any contingency in close cooperation with related agencies such as the police and local governments."