A fire at the Young Poong Seokpo Smelter in Bonghwa County, North Gyeongsang Province, was put out in about an hour. No casualties have been confirmed so far, and there are no signs that toxic gases or hazardous substances leaked into nearby areas.
According to fire authorities on the 9th, a fire broke out at about 12:36 p.m. at a sulfuric acid production plant inside the Seokpo Smelter in Seokpo-myeon, Bonghwa County, North Gyeongsang Province. The site of the blaze was found to be an air dust collection facility, a device for preventing air pollution.
After receiving the report, fire authorities issued a Level 1 response at about 12:43 p.m., mobilizing all personnel from the jurisdictional fire station. About 60 firefighters and 34 pieces of equipment, including fire engines, were deployed to the scene. The main flames were brought under control at about 1:55 p.m., roughly 1 hour and 20 minutes after the fire started.
Plant 1 of the smelter where the fire occurred is a facility that collects sulfur, a by-product from the zinc smelting process, and makes it into sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid is a colorless, odorless liquid with high viscosity and is a hazardous substance with strong acidity. It is mainly used in dye and fertilizer production, petroleum refining, and wastewater treatment.
Because sulfuric acid is harmful to the human body, the possibility of toxic gas being generated during the fire was also raised. In response, Bonghwa County sent a disaster safety text message advising nearby residents to evacuate to areas away from the accident site. However, it has not been confirmed that hazardous substances have leaked into nearby villages so far.
The Seokpo Smelter is a nonferrous metal smelting plant that produces zinc used in various industries, including steel, automobiles, and home appliances.