Prime Minister Han Seung-soo on October 16 ordered the National Fire Agency to mobilize all available firefighting resources and equipment to rescue trapped firefighters and extinguish a major fire at a metal parts coating factory in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province.
After receiving reports on the fire, Han directed the National Fire Agency, the National Police Agency, and local governments to ensure the safety of firefighters on the scene and to prevent secondary accidents during firefighting operations.
According to the Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters, the fire broke out at approximately 8:38 a.m. in the cleaning room on the third floor of the four-story factory located in Naedong, Ojeong-gu, Bucheon.
As concerns about the fire spreading grew, authorities declared a Level 1 response just 19 minutes later, at 8:57 a.m., and upgraded to a Level 2 response at 9:09 a.m., deploying personnel and equipment from five to six nearby fire stations.
So far, one factory employee has been rescued by firefighters, and four others managed to escape on their own, with no reported injuries among residents or workers. However, concerns about firefighters becoming trapped have prompted authorities to conduct simultaneous rescue operations.
The factory stores Class 4 hazardous materials (flammable liquids), complicating firefighting efforts. The city of Bucheon has issued a disaster alert, urging local residents to refrain from going outside due to the large amount of smoke.
Fire authorities have deployed over 80 firefighters and 38 pieces of equipment to combat the blaze, and they plan to investigate the exact cause of the fire and the extent of the damage once the flames are under control.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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