Explosion kills 5 at South Korean aerospace plant
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SEOUL: An explosion at a plant run by South Korean defence firm Hanwha Aerospace killed five people on Monday (Jun 1), local fire authorities said, with two others injured.
The explosion was reported to authorities at around 11am local time at Hanwha's plant in Daejeon, about 150km south of Seoul.
A representative of the Daejeon Fire Headquarters told AFP that five people died and two others were injured.
The two survivors, including one who was badly burned, had escaped from the facility themselves, a fire official said.
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"Authorities have yet to identify the victims because their bodies were severely damaged," a health official told the same briefing.
A fire official added that an explosion had triggered the blaze, though the cause of the blast was still being investigated.
Shares in Hanwha Aerospace fell 2.8 per cent in afternoon trade, while the holding company Hanwha Corp saw its shares drop 3.4 per cent.
The blast may have happened during the cleaning process involved in the production of rocket propellants, Hanwha Aerospace CEO Son Jae-il said at a news briefing.
"During this process, explosive materials could remain on the tools, and there is a procedure to remove and clean those residues. It is presumed that the accident occurred during this stage of the process," he said.
"We will take this accident with the utmost seriousness and fundamentally review and rectify the company's safety systems to ensure that such an incident is never repeated."
"We bow our heads in apology to the victims and their bereaved families," said Son, pledging to cooperate fully with authorities to determine the cause of the accident.
The five dead included two temporary workers in their 20s and all were employed by Hanwha, the company said.
Hanwha Aerospace is a major South Korean defence manufacturer which produces weapons, artillery systems and aerospace components.
Its Daejeon facility focuses on research and development, including advanced weapons technologies and space-related systems, and produces large propulsion engines and handles rocket propellants.
Authorities were unable to obtain the factory's layout since it is protected under national security laws, an official said at the briefing.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called for the mobilisation of all available resources to respond to the accident and for an investigation, his office said in a text message to reporters.
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