All the bodies of the missing people from the fire at the auto manufacturer Safety Industry in Munpyeong-dong, Daedeok-gu, Daejeon, which left more than 70 casualties, have been recovered.
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 plant's east building. 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 sustained minor injuries. Two firefighters were also hurt during the suppression effort. None of the injured are believed to be in life-threatening condition. However, because there are patients with airway burns and severe burns, their progress must be monitored continuously.
The fire broke out at about 1:17 p.m. the previous day. Authorities issued a national firefighting mobilization order and began suppression, but it took more than 10 hours, and the flames were fully extinguished at about 11:48 p.m.
It is presumed the fire spread quickly because cutting oil used in processing and resulting grease deposits had accumulated inside the plant.
In particular, because the fire started during the lunch hour, many workers were in the break area between the second and third floors, and fire authorities believe thick smoke made it hard to find evacuation routes, hindering a swift escape. Some employees had to flee through windows.
Police and fire authorities are working to identify the deceased. They also plan to determine the exact cause of the fire.