Changwon Seongju-dong Factory Fire Extinguished After 7 Hours ... Two Factory Buildings Completely Destroyed

A fire scene at a factory located in the National Industrial Complex, Seongju-dong, Seongsan-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam Province. Video provided by Changwon Fire Headquarters.

At approximately 10:13 a.m. on January 14, a fire broke out at an automobile parts manufacturing plant in the Changwon National Industrial Complex, Seongju-dong, Seongsan-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam Province. The blaze was extinguished after about seven hours.

The Changwon Fire Headquarters announced that the main fire was brought under control at around 11:56 a.m., and the firefighting operation was completed at 5:18 p.m. on the same day.

As a result of the fire, two factory buildings where the fire started were completely destroyed, and parts of several adjacent factories belonging to other companies were also damaged by the flames.

At the time of the fire, all 53 people, including factory personnel, evacuated safely, and no casualties were reported.

However, a large amount of black smoke rose into the air, resulting in 136 fire reports from nearby residents and others.

Black smoke is rising at a factory fire site within the National Industrial Complex in Seongju-dong, Seongsan-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam. Provided by a reader

More than 70 personnel, including firefighters, about 20 members of the emergency response control team, and 19 pieces of heavy equipment and firefighting apparatus were mobilized to extinguish the fire.

The Jinhae Naval Base Command, upon request from the fire authorities, also supported the operation by dispatching three vehicles and eight personnel.

At 10:34 a.m. on the same day, Fire Response Level 1 was issued, mobilizing 31 to 50 units of equipment from three to seven local fire stations, and this alert was lifted at 12:24 p.m.

Earlier, at 10:46 a.m., Changwon City sent out a safety alert message, stating, "Due to a factory fire near Seongju-dong today, a large amount of smoke is being generated. Please exercise caution when passing through the area."

The police and fire authorities suspect that the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit. They plan to conduct a joint investigation on the morning of January 15 to determine the exact cause of the fire and assess the extent of the damage.