[Breaking] Fire at Kumho Tire Gwangju Factory... Partial Building Collapse

Fire Department Issues Level 2 Response to Blaze
Mobilizes 207 Personnel and Helicopters
Partial Collapse of Factory Where Fire First Broke Out

A fire broke out on the morning of the 17th at Kumho Tire's Gwangju factory, and the fire department is currently working to extinguish it. Photo by Song Bohyun

It has been confirmed that part of a building collapsed due to the fire that broke out at Kumho Tire's Gwangju factory.

According to the fire department on May 17, a fire occurred at around 7:11 a.m. in the refining process area of Kumho Tire's Gwangju factory, located in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju.

The fire department issued a Level 2 fire response at 7:50 a.m. and mobilized all available resources, including 207 personnel and helicopters, to extinguish the fire.

As a result of the fire, one employee in his twenties suffered a leg fracture and was transported to the hospital. In particular, it was confirmed that part of the factory where the fire initially broke out collapsed at around 10:46 a.m.

The fire department reportedly deployed excavators to remove the roof and sprayed water to prevent the fire from spreading to the adjacent factory, which is constructed with sandwich panels.

Fortunately, no additional casualties have been reported so far.