'8 Injured or Killed' Yeocheon NCC Explosion Accident... Arrest Warrants Requested for 3 Including Site Manager

On the morning of February 11, an explosion occurred at Yeocheon NCC Plant 3 in Hwachi-dong, Yeosu-si, Jeollanam-do National Industrial Complex, and police and factory officials are inspecting the accident site. Four people died and four others were seriously or moderately injured and transported to the hospital. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Tae-min] A pre-arrest warrant has been requested for subcontractor personnel identified as responsible for the explosion accident at the Yeocheon NCC plant, which resulted in 8 casualties.

According to the Jeonnam Police Agency on the 29th, the police investigation team requested a pre-arrest warrant for three individuals, including subcontractor personnel, on charges of professional negligence causing death and injury, while the Ministry of Employment and Labor requested a warrant on charges of violating the Industrial Safety and Health Act. These three individuals are the CEO and site manager of the primary contractor Yeocheon NCC, and the CEO of the partner company Youngjin Technology.

Considering the seriousness of the case, the police and labor authorities have judged that detention investigation is necessary at this stage. The pre-arrest suspect interrogation (warrant hearing) will be held on the 30th at the Suncheon branch of the Gwangju District Court.

They are accused of neglecting safety management and other duties at the Yeocheon NCC Yeosu Plant 3 in the Yeosu National Industrial Complex on February 11 of this year, causing an explosion accident that killed 4 workers and injured 4 others. The accident occurred during a test run to verify performance after workers finished cleaning a large sealed container-type heat exchanger.

It is preliminarily investigated that while increasing internal pressure to check for air leakage, a cover weighing about 1 ton, which was not properly fastened, was blown off by the explosion impact and struck a worker. So far, the police have booked 8 personnel from the primary and subcontractor companies as suspects.