Fire at South Korean Factory Kills 14

A fire at a car parts factory in Daejeon, South Korea, killed 14 people and injured around 60 others. The blaze broke out on Friday afternoon and was not fully extinguished until Saturday afternoon.

The factory, owned by Anjun Industrial—a supplier for Hyundai and Kia—was a three-story building where about 170 workers were present when the fire started. Rescue operations were complicated by hazardous chemicals stored on-site, which delayed firefighting efforts due to the risk of explosions if water was used.

Videos from the scene showed thick smoke billowing from the factory and some workers jumping from windows to escape. Firefighters initially could not enter the building over fears it might collapse. Unmanned firefighting robots were deployed to cool the structure and access dangerous areas, while more than 500 personnel were involved in rescue operations.

According to The Guardian, nine of the dead were found inside a third-floor gym locker room. Some victims suffered severe burns requiring DNA testing for identification. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, with witnesses reporting an explosion. South Korea's president, Lee Jae Myung, called for better worker protections following the incident.

As reported by PBS, 25 people were seriously injured, though it was not immediately clear whether any were in life-threatening condition. The fire was reported at about 1:18 p.m. Friday and appeared to have spread rapidly. Firefighters focused on preventing the blaze from spreading to an adjacent facility and isolating explosive chemicals.