At least 14 people killed in fire at South Korean car parts factory
A fire at a car parts factory in Daejeon killed 14 people and injured almost 60. Firefighters said all of the missing are now accounted for after a search of the wreckage, and video of the blaze appeared to show people jumping from the first floor to escape. Nam Deuk-woo, a local fire chief, told the New York Times the fire spread so quickly that workers had already started jumping by the time firefighters arrived.
About 170 workers are believed to have been inside when the fire was reported on Friday afternoon; it was not extinguished until Saturday afternoon local time. Crews were delayed from entering because of fears the building would collapse and because sodium — which can explode when mixed with water — was stored on site and had to be removed.
More than 200kg of highly reactive chemicals were recovered. Plumes of black smoke rose from the steel-framed building as more than 500 firefighters, police and emergency personnel worked with cranes, two unmanned firefighting robots and a helicopter to cool and douse the blaze.
South Korea, Daejeon
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