All the bodies of the missing have been recovered from the fire at automotive manufacturer Safe Industry in Munpyeong-dong, Daedeok-gu, Daejeon, which left more than 70 casualties.
Fire authorities first recovered one missing person at about 11:03 p.m. the previous day near the break room on the second floor of the east building of the plant. Then at about 12:19 a.m. that day, they found nine more missing people in a break area on the third floor of the east building.
Fire authorities conducted a detailed search among collapsed structures and debris. At 4:10 p.m., 4:48 p.m., and 5 p.m. that day, they recovered the bodies of three missing people in succession.
Fourteen people died in the fire. Twenty-five were seriously injured, and 35 had minor injuries. Two firefighters were also hurt during suppression efforts. None of the injured are believed to be in life-threatening condition. However, because there are patients with airway burns and severe burns, authorities said they must continue to closely monitor their progress.
The fire broke out at about 1:17 p.m. the previous day. Authorities issued a nationwide fire mobilization order and began suppression, but it took more than 10 hours, and the fire was fully extinguished at about 11:48 p.m.
It is believed the fire spread quickly because cutting oil used in processing and resulting grease had accumulated inside the plant.
In particular, because the fire started during the lunch hour, many workers were in a break area between the second and third floors, and fire authorities said thick smoke made it hard to find escape routes and hindered a rapid evacuation. Some employees had to escape through windows.
Police and fire authorities are working to identify the victims. They also plan to determine the exact cause of the fire.