14 KILLED, 59 INJURED IN SOUTH KOREA CAR PLANT FIRE

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By ‘Sefiu Ajape

Fourteen people have been killed in a fire at a car parts factory in South Korea, with 59 others injured, authorities told AFP on Saturday, updating an earlier toll of 11 deaths.

Firefighters were initially unable to enter the factory in the central city of Daejeon to search for survivors due to the risk of the building collapsing.

Firefighters spray water to extinguish a fire at a car parts plant in Daejeon on March 20, 2026. Photo by – / YONHAP / AFP

The response was also complicated by sodium stored at the facility, which can explode if improperly handled, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.

About 170 workers were present at the plant when the fire broke out around 1:00 pm (0400 GMT) on Friday, Yonhap reported.

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“We can confirm the latest death toll has risen to 14, with no one reported missing,” an official from the interior ministry’s disaster department told AFP.

Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the fire, which spread rapidly.

Heavy smoke rises following a fire at a car parts plant in Daejeon on March 20, 2026. Photo by – / YONHAP / AFP

A witness told Yonhap they heard an explosion at the scene.

Images released by Yonhap showed firefighters spraying water from cranes as thick black smoke billowed into the sky.

The fire was eventually extinguished by Saturday afternoon.

President Lee Jae Myung visited the site and met with bereaved families, pledging full support for victims and their loved ones, Yonhap said.

“The government will thoroughly investigate the cause of the incident and prepare fundamental measures to prevent such tragedies,” Lee wrote on X.

Despite its wealth, South Korea has a troubled record on workplace safety, with more than 10,000 worksite deaths recorded between 2000 and 2024, according to official data.