Deadly Factory Fire in South Korea Claims 14 Lives, Injures Dozens More

Emergency crews in South Korea have recovered 14 bodies from a devastating fire at an auto parts manufacturing facility in Daejeon. The Friday afternoon blaze also sent 59 people to hospitals, with 25 suffering serious injuries from the explosion and flames.

DAEJEON, South Korea — Emergency responders in South Korea pulled 14 bodies from the burned remains of an automotive parts manufacturing facility on Saturday, following a devastating blaze that also sent 59 people to area hospitals.

According to local fire department officials, 25 individuals sustained severe injuries in the incident, though authorities have not yet determined if any victims are fighting for their lives. Emergency teams numbering more than 500, including firefighters, law enforcement, and paramedics, were called in to battle the flames and search for survivors after the fire erupted on Friday afternoon.

Dramatic footage and images captured at the scene revealed massive plumes of dark smoke rising from the industrial complex, with some employees leaping from windows of the Anjun Industrial building to escape the inferno.

Nam Deuk-woo, the fire department chief for the city’s Daedeok district, explained that the flames completely gutted the factory structure, which rescue teams could not initially access due to concerns about structural collapse. Recovery efforts for missing workers commenced late Friday evening after crews used robotic firefighting equipment to cool the building and engineers completed safety assessments.

“Nine of the 14 dead were discovered in what is believed to have been a gym on the third floor, while three were found near a water tank on the second floor,” Nam stated. Officials confirmed that all previously unaccounted-for individuals have now been located.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung traveled to the disaster site on Saturday afternoon, where he met with families of those killed and emphasized the importance of safety protocols to prevent the weakened structure from collapsing during ongoing search efforts.

The emergency call came in at approximately 1:18 p.m. on Friday. While Nam indicated the origin of the fire remains under investigation, the flames appeared to have moved quickly through the building, with eyewitnesses describing hearing an explosion. Emergency crews concentrated on stopping the fire from reaching neighboring buildings and securing dangerous chemical materials. Nam reported that workers removed more than 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of highly volatile chemicals from the facility.

Injuries occurred when people jumped from the structure to flee the fire, while others were harmed by smoke inhalation, according to officials. By Saturday morning, 28 individuals remained in hospital care, with four requiring surgical procedures for fractured bones and other trauma.

The response effort involved approximately 120 emergency vehicles and specialized equipment, including aircraft, an unmanned water cannon truck, and two robotic firefighting units designed for dangerous areas, alongside hundreds of emergency personnel.