14 Workers Unaccounted for After Factory Fire in Daejeon..."Search to Begin After Structural Safety Is Secured"

[The Financial News]
A fire at an auto parts manufacturing plant in Munpyeong-dong, Daedeok District, Daejeon Metropolitan City has left 14 workers unaccounted for. Fire authorities have issued a national firefighting mobilization order and launched a pan-government response.
The Central Emergency Rescue Control Group of the National Fire Agency (NFA) held a joint situation assessment meeting with related agencies at around 5:30 p.m. on the 20th, chaired by group head and NFA Commissioner Kim Seung-ryong. Participants discussed response measures to rescue people and minimize damage.
The fire was first reported at 1:17 p.m. that day and then spread rapidly. As concerns grew over mass casualties, fire authorities issued a Level 1 response at 1:26 p.m., upgraded it to Level 2 at 1:31 p.m., and at 1:53 p.m. put the national firefighting mobilization order into effect.
Of the 170 workers on site at the time of the accident, the whereabouts of 156 have been confirmed, while 14 remain out of contact.
So far, a total of 55 casualties have been confirmed. Of these, 35 people (24 seriously injured and 11 with minor injuries) have been transported to nearby hospitals, while 20 with minor injuries received treatment at the scene and returned home.
The situation assessment meeting was attended by Daejeon Metropolitan City Mayor Lee Jang-woo, Daedeok District Chief Choi Chung-gyu, the head of Daejeon Fire Headquarters, the chief of the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency, the head of the Daedeok-gu Public Health Center, and officials from the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, among other related agencies.
At the meeting, authorities decided to assign dedicated personnel to strengthen systematic management of those transported to hospitals. They also set the swift and safe rescue of the 14 unaccounted-for workers as the top priority.
Because high temperatures from the fire and structural damage to the building have greatly increased the risks of rescue operations, the plan is to deploy building safety assessment experts. Search operations will proceed step by step only after structural safety has been secured.
A building safety assessment expert explained, "The building is a steel-frame structure that has deformed due to heat from the fire, and there is a risk of collapse." The expert added, "Sending rescue personnel inside right now is extremely dangerous, so a cautious approach is needed after sufficient safety has been ensured."
On site, authorities are currently using an unmanned firefighting robot and other equipment to lower the temperature inside the building, while carefully reviewing when to send in rescue teams. They also plan to use the building’s design drawings to develop a detailed search plan that will improve both the efficiency and safety of efforts to locate the missing workers.
In addition, they are securing lighting equipment in preparation for nighttime rescue operations and keeping heavy machinery on standby so it can be deployed immediately if needed. Fire authorities and the local government also plan to jointly operate a family support system to assist the families of those who are unaccounted for.
Kim Seung-ryong, head of the Central Emergency Rescue Control Group, stated, "Based on close cooperation with related agencies, we will mobilize all available resources to do our utmost to rescue people, while making every effort to prevent further damage and ensure safety at the scene."
spring@fnnews.com Reporter Lee Bo-mi Reporter