Yoon Visits Fire Site in Afternoon to Assess Situation
"Condolences to the Deceased... Comfort to Bereaved Families"
"Orders Research on Comprehensive Measures for Early Fire Suppression"
President Yoon Suk-yeol is inspecting the situation at the lithium battery manufacturing plant fire site located in Seosin-myeon, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi Province, on the afternoon of the 24th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
On the afternoon of the 24th, President Yoon Suk-yeol visited the site of a fire at a primary battery manufacturing plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province to console the bereaved families and ordered a thorough investigation into the cause of the fire and the establishment of measures to prevent recurrence.
According to Kim Soo-kyung, spokesperson for the Presidential Office, President Yoon received a report on the fire's circumstances and the situation at the site for about an hour from Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min that afternoon, then personally visited the fire scene to check the damage and response status.
At the site, President Yoon said, "I pray for the souls of those who passed away in this fire and offer my condolences to the bereaved families."
He then received a report on the fire response situation from the Chief of the Gyeonggi Provincial Fire Headquarters and instructed the Commissioner of the National Fire Agency to "conduct a thorough and precise investigation into the cause of the fire."
President Yoon stated, "Fires caused by chemicals such as batteries are difficult to extinguish with conventional fire extinguishers or hydrants," and urged, "Work closely with experts to develop comprehensive measures for early fire suppression."
He emphasized, "In factories handling chemicals, fire prevention must consider the building structure, the method and location of chemical storage, and evacuation procedures must be thoroughly prepared in advance."
President Yoon Suk-yeol is visiting the site of a fire at a lithium battery manufacturing plant located in Seosin-myeon, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi Province, on the afternoon of the 24th to assess the situation. [Image source=Yonhap News]
In particular, President Yoon expressed regret, saying, "In this fire, the ignition materials were stored in front of the emergency exit, preventing workers from escaping and resulting in many fatalities."
He instructed Minister Lee, "Ensure thorough safety inspections of similar companies and establish measures to prevent recurrence so that such accidents never happen again."
Firefighters responding at the scene encouraged each other with handshakes and urged, "The safety of firefighters is the most important. Please work while protecting your own safety and health."
Earlier that morning, upon learning of the fire, President Yoon gave an urgent order to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and fire authorities to "mobilize all available personnel and equipment to fully focus on search and rescue operations."
According to fire authorities, the fire broke out around 10:31 a.m. at Arisel, a primary battery manufacturing company located in Seosin-myeon, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.
At a briefing at the fire scene, the Hwaseong Fire Department announced that as of 6:30 p.m., the casualties numbered 22 dead, 2 seriously injured, and 6 lightly injured.
Of the 22 deceased, 20 were foreigners: 18 Chinese nationals, 1 Laotian national, and 1 unknown nationality. The other 2 were Korean nationals.
Fire authorities are continuing search operations for one person who is unaccounted for, in addition to the 30 casualties.
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