Factory blaze in South Korea injures dozens, leaves workers missing

Seoul — A fire at a car parts factory in Daejeon on Friday injured 55 people, including 24 seriously, while 14 others remained unaccounted for, authorities said, as emergency crews battled the blaze and searched through partially collapsed structures.

Fire officials said the blaze broke out around lunchtime, with many workers believed to have been inside the building, including a group gathered in a second-floor break room when the fire started.

Several people were injured after jumping from the building in an attempt to escape.

Search operations for the missing have been complicated by structural damage, with parts of the factory collapsing during the fire.

Authorities said phone data indicated the missing individuals were likely near the origin of the blaze.By around 6 p.m. local time, firefighters had contained roughly 80% of the fire, but rescue efforts were continuing amid concerns that casualties could rise.

The government of South Korea activated a centralized disaster management system following the incident, after President Lee Jae Myung ordered the mobilisation of all available resources to contain the fire and support rescue operations.

IThe factory is operated by Anjun Industrial, which manufactures engine valves and supplies major automakers including Hyundai Motor and Kia Corporation, according to information on the company’s website.

Company officials were not immediately available for comment.