Five people were killed on Monday while two others were injured following an explosion at a factory in South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace factory in the central city of Daejeon, local media reported. Offical state media Yonhap said that the fire was reported this morning at 10:59 am (local time) and that of the two survivors, one person sustained full-body burns, and the other had minor injuries.
The explosion is suspected to have occurred as workers at the site were conducting explosive-related cleaning work. The company facility, which develops large propulsion engines and tactical surface-to-surface weapon systems.
President Lee Jae Myung has instructed a probe into the incident and directed government officials to mobilise all available resources for rescue efforts
Yonhap News Agency reported that fire authorities received about 30 emergency calls at around 10.59 am (local time) reporting a loud explosion and thick smoke at the facility.
Meanwhile, Hanwha Group and its defence arm Hanwha Aerospace issued an apology, pledged full cooperation with authorities and a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident, local media the Korea Herald reported.
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok has ordered the interior ministry, the fire agency, police and the Daejeon city government to mobilise all available equipment and personnel to put out the fire and rescue victims so as to ensure no additional casualties occur.
Yonhap news reported that in 2018, an explosion at the factory killed five people and in 2019. It was hit by another explosion, which left three workers dead.
The Daejeon facility is one of Hanwha Aerospace’s key aerospace and defence research and production sites. At the site, the company develops and produces large-scale propulsion systems and tactical surface-to-surface weapon systems, handling propellant mixing and loading operations.
The site is involved in the development of propulsion systems for weapons such as multiple-launch rocket systems and missiles, requiring the handling of highly sensitive combustible and explosive compounds.
