Workers Jump to Survive: 11 Killed and 3 Missing in Devastating South Korean Factory Fire
Daejeon, South Korea, March 21, 2026 — A catastrophic fire at a major automobile parts factory in South Korea has claimed the lives of at least 11 workers and left nearly 60 others injured. Search and rescue operations are still underway as authorities desperately comb through the charred, collapsed wreckage for three employees who remain unaccounted for.
The deadly blaze erupted on Friday afternoon at the Anjun Industrial plant—a key supplier for Hyundai Motor and Kia Corp—located in the central city of Daejeon, roughly 160 kilometers south of the capital, Seoul.
A Desperate Escape
According to local authorities, the fire broke out at approximately 1:17 PM local time. At the time of the incident, an estimated 170 workers were inside the facility. Witnesses reported hearing a massive explosion just before the flames rapidly engulfed the complex.
The resulting panic led to severe casualties. The South Korean National Fire Agency confirmed that 59 people were injured, including two firefighters. Out of those injured, 25 are in critical condition, while 34 sustained minor injuries. Several workers suffered broken bones after jumping from the upper floors of the burning building in a desperate bid to escape the flames, while others were treated for severe smoke inhalation.
The remains of the 11th victim were recovered from the debris around noon on Saturday.
Rescue Efforts Complicated by Chemical Hazards
The firefighting response was massive but fraught with extreme danger. Over 500 emergency personnel, including firefighters and police, rushed to the scene. However, their initial entry into the facility was completely blocked due to the high risk of structural collapse—a fear that materialized when one of the factory buildings eventually caved in.
Further complicating the crisis was the presence of roughly 200 kilograms of highly reactive sodium and other industrial chemicals stored inside the plant. Mishandling these chemicals could have triggered secondary, deadlier explosions.
To safely combat the blaze, authorities deployed 120 specialized vehicles and pieces of equipment, including firefighting aircraft, an unmanned water cannon vehicle, and two state-of-the-art firefighting robots to access highly unstable zones. It took the combined force over 10 and a half hours to finally extinguish the inferno.
Ongoing Operations
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has personally intervened, ordering the full mobilization of all available government personnel and equipment to support the ongoing rescue and recovery missions.
Heavy excavating equipment is currently being used to clear the collapsed structure as police track the mobile phone signals of the three missing workers. The exact cause of the initial explosion remains under intense investigation.