Daejeon, March 13 (BNA) A massive fire broke out at a tire factory in the central city of Daejeon, but no serious injuries were reported, according to firefighting officials.
The fire broke out at 10:09 p.m. Sunday at the plant operated by the country’s leading tire and technology company Hankook, according to Daejeon Fire Headquarters.
The agency said no serious injuries were reported, but 10 factory workers and a firefighter sought medical treatment for smoke inhalation, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported.
Authorities said more than 750 firefighters had been battling the blaze for nearly 12 hours, but strong winds and dry conditions were hampering those efforts.
The agency said the fire was supposed to have started from a tire forming machine in the northern part of the second factory where flammable materials are stored.
Fire official Kim Jun-ho said it was difficult to put out the fire because the tires were made of combustible materials.
Jun Ho added that an additional nine helicopters have been mobilized.
Hankook Tire, the world’s seventh-largest tire maker by sales, estimates that 210,000 tires have been burned in the fire.
Authorities earlier evacuated residents from nearby apartments due to the fire and ordered others in the immediate area to close their windows.
The fire also caused transportation disruptions, including train services operating near the plant and vehicular traffic on the motorway.
The Ministry of Interior also ordered officials to prevent any collateral damage to buildings and residents living nearby.
A spokesman for Hankook Tire Company said by telephone that Hankook Tire stopped production lines at the Daejeon plant on Monday morning to find out the cause of the fire and assess the extent of the damage.
NAA