Fire Department: "5 Dead in Hanwha Aerospace Explosion... Victims Not Yet Identified" (Comprehensive Report 2)

Rocket Propellant Explosion: One Seriously Injured, One with Minor Injuries
Accident Believed to Have Occurred During Explosives-Related Cleaning Operations
Hanwha: "All-Out Effort for Aftermath Management... Thorough Investigation of Cause"

At 10:59 a.m. on June 1, a rocket propellant explosion occurred at the Hanwha Aerospace Daejeon Plant in Oesam-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, resulting in five deaths. One person suffered severe burns over the entire body and is in serious condition, while another sustained minor injuries.

At around 10:59 a.m. on the 1st, an explosion occurred at the Hanwha Aerospace Daejeon Plant in Oe-sam-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, resulting in five deaths and two injuries. Yonhap News

At the time of the first emergency call, about 30 reports were received by the 119 emergency services, with callers stating that "an explosion was heard" and "a lot of smoke is coming out."

The fire authorities declared the first stage of fire response at 11:17 a.m., mobilizing around 100 personnel and 30 pieces of equipment. The initial suppression was completed within 50 minutes of the fire breaking out, and by 1:07 p.m., the fire was fully extinguished. The first-stage fire response was lifted at 1:08 p.m.

Due to this fire, an entire building on the first floor, covering an area of 544 square meters, was completely burned. According to Hanwha Aerospace officials, the explosion occurred in the washing room of Building 56, where workers were believed to have been engaged in cleaning tasks related to explosives.

The Yuseong Fire Station and Yuseong-gu Public Health Center held a joint briefing and announced that all five of the deceased, among the seven workers present, were found inside the exploded work area. The two injured workers escaped on their own and were rescued. Of these, the worker with severe burns is currently hospitalized, while the individual with minor injuries received treatment and was discharged.

For the deceased, the fire authorities stated that due to the severe condition of the remains, identification has not yet been completed.

The site is a state-protected facility, and the police and fire authorities are planning to investigate the detailed cause of the fire after securing building blueprints and other information from relevant personnel.

Yoon Ho-jung, Minister of the Interior and Safety, issued an urgent directive, stating, "Please do your utmost to ensure that no safety accidents occur among firefighters during the fire suppression and rescue operations," and added, "The police should thoroughly control the area around the fire scene."

Yonhap News Agency

Hanwha Group and Hanwha Aerospace stated, "We will make every effort to manage the aftermath of the accident and thoroughly determine the cause to prevent recurrence."

Hanwha Aerospace immediately held a countermeasure meeting at its Seoul headquarters, presided over by CEO Son Jaeil. CEO Son moved directly to the accident site right after the meeting.

A Hanwha Aerospace official said, "We have set up a countermeasure headquarters at the scene and are doing our utmost to manage the situation in cooperation with the fire department, police, and other relevant authorities. The specific circumstances and details of the damage are still being confirmed."

Hanwha Group also stated that it will identify the cause of the accident and work to prevent any recurrence. Previously, there had been two explosion accidents at the Hanwha Aerospace Daejeon Plant. In May 2018, an explosion resulted in two deaths at the scene, and three others who suffered severe burns later died while receiving hospital treatment. In February 2019, another explosion and fire broke out in the propellant molding room of Building 70 at the Daejeon Plant, killing three workers inside.

A representative of Hanwha Group said, "We wish a swift recovery for the injured employees and will spare no effort in supporting their treatment. Once again, we deeply bow our heads in apology to the public."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.