(4th LD) 14 unaccounted for in fire at Daejeon car parts plant | Yonhap News Agency

## Summary
OK (ATTN: UPDATES figures in para 8; ADDS details in paras 10, 12-13) DAEJEON, March 20 (Yonhap) -- A fire broke out at a car parts plant in the central city of Daejeon on Friday, injuring at least 55 people, with 14 others unaccounted for, authorities said. A fire breaks out at a car parts plant in the central city of Daejeon on March 20, 2026. (Yonhap) A total of 170 workers were inside the plant when the blaze started, and 14 of them have been unreachable, officials said. Workers are seen escaping a fire at a car parts plant in the central city of Daejeon on March 20, 2026, in this photo provided by a reader. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) President Lee Jae Myung ordered authorities to mobilize all available resources to rescue the victims and contain the fire, his office said. Black smoke rises from a car parts plant in the central city of Daejeon on March 20, 2026, in this photo provided by the National Fire Agency. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) hague@yna.co.kr elly@yna.co.kr (END) Keywords #car plant #fire Articles with issue keywords Most Liked Netflix, BTS to turn Seoul into world's 'biggest watch party' Four decades of Damien Hirst on display at MMCA, from shark to cherry blossoms (LEAD) FM Cho sidesteps questions on whether U.S. asked Seoul to send warships to Middle East Ex-U.S. officials voice concerns about Trump gov't 'vacating' deterrence assets from Indo-Pacific amid Iran war Korean Pavilion at Venice Biennale seeks comfort through art, with Han Kang's sculpture of blackened trees Most Saved Netflix, BTS to turn Seoul into world's 'biggest watch party' (LEAD) FM Cho sidesteps questions on whether U.S. asked Seoul to send warships to Middle East Four decades of Damien Hirst on display at MMCA, from shark to cherry blossoms Korean Pavilion at Venice Biennale seeks comfort through art, with Han Kang's sculpture of blackened trees (2nd LD) N.

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OK
(ATTN: UPDATES figures in para 8; ADDS details in paras 10, 12-13)
DAEJEON, March 20 (Yonhap) -- A fire broke out at a car parts plant in the central city of Daejeon on Friday, injuring at least 55 people, with 14 others unaccounted for, authorities said.
The fire was reported at around 1:17 p.m., prompting the National Fire Agency to issue a national firefighting mobilization order, which is given when the scale of the fire is deemed to surpass the firefighting capacity of the local government.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety ordered the formation of a central disaster response headquarters to handle the accident in a more coordinated manner and prevent further damage.
"The government will make the utmost effort to manage the situation, carry out recovery work and support the victims," Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung said.
A fire breaks out at a car parts plant in the central city of Daejeon on March 20, 2026. (Yonhap)
A total of 170 workers were inside the plant when the blaze started, and 14 of them have been unreachable, officials said.
Of the injured, including 24 with serious injuries, many had inhaled toxic gas or fallen from the building, they said.
More than 200 firefighters and 90 pieces of equipment have been deployed to the scene to put out the blaze, aided by helicopters from the forestry service.
Fire authorities said more than 95 percent of the fire had been extinguished as of around 8:30 p.m. They have yet to find the point of origin.
Black smoke rises from a car parts plant in the central city of Daejeon on March 20, 2026. (Yonhap)
Firefighters have not been able to enter the structure due to concerns it could collapse. Also complicating the firefighting effort is 200 kilograms of sodium inside the building, which could explode if poorly handled.
Authorities said an inspection is underway to determine whether it is safe for firefighters to enter the building, adding they are ready to begin overnight search operations once conditions allow them to enter.
"Due to the risk of collapse, it is difficult to enter the building to fully extinguish the fire," said Nam Deuk-woo, chief of Daedeok Fire Station in Daejeon. "It is expected to take a long time to clear the smoldering debris."
Nam said the steel structures inside the building have been warped by the heat and that they have deployed unmanned firefighting robots to lower the temperatures inside. They are also using drones to locate the missing people and get an overview of the situation after the fire.
Most of people at the factory are believed to have been on the second floor where a break room for employees is located, as the fire broke out around break time.
The parking lot on the third floor and rooftop on the fourth floor have been most severely damaged by the fire.
Workers are seen escaping a fire at a car parts plant in the central city of Daejeon on March 20, 2026, in this photo provided by a reader. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
President Lee Jae Myung ordered authorities to mobilize all available resources to rescue the victims and contain the fire, his office said.
Earlier, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok gave similar instructions to the interior ministry and the fire agency, while ordering the Daejeon metropolitan government and the police to ensure no further damage by implementing traffic control and evacuation measures.
Black smoke rises from a car parts plant in the central city of Daejeon on March 20, 2026, in this photo provided by the National Fire Agency. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
hague@yna.co.kr
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)
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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
N/A

### Areas for Consideration
- The fire was reported at around 1:17 p.m., prompting the National Fire Agency to issue a national firefighting mobilization order, which is given when the scale of the fire is deemed to surpass the firefighting capacity of the local government.
- Authorities said an inspection is underway to determine whether it is safe for firefighters to enter the building, adding they are ready to begin overnight search operations once conditions allow them to enter. "Due to the risk of collapse, it is difficult to enter the building to fully extinguish the fire," said Nam Deuk-woo, chief of Daedeok Fire Station in Daejeon. "It is expected to take a long time to clear the smoldering debris." Nam said the steel structures inside the building have been warped by the heat and that they have deployed unmanned firefighting robots to lower the temperatures inside.
- Black smoke rises from a car parts plant in the central city of Daejeon on March 20, 2026, in this photo provided by the National Fire Agency. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) hague@yna.co.kr elly@yna.co.kr (END) Keywords #car plant #fire Articles with issue keywords Most Liked Netflix, BTS to turn Seoul into world's 'biggest watch party' Four decades of Damien Hirst on display at MMCA, from shark to cherry blossoms (LEAD) FM Cho sidesteps questions on whether U.S. asked Seoul to send warships to Middle East Ex-U.S. officials voice concerns about Trump gov't 'vacating' deterrence assets from Indo-Pacific amid Iran war Korean Pavilion at Venice Biennale seeks comfort through art, with Han Kang's sculpture of blackened trees Most Saved Netflix, BTS to turn Seoul into world's 'biggest watch party' (LEAD) FM Cho sidesteps questions on whether U.S. asked Seoul to send warships to Middle East Four decades of Damien Hirst on display at MMCA, from shark to cherry blossoms Korean Pavilion at Venice Biennale seeks comfort through art, with Han Kang's sculpture of blackened trees (2nd LD) N.

### Implications
- The Ministry of the Interior and Safety ordered the formation of a central disaster response headquarters to handle the accident in a more coordinated manner and prevent further damage. "The government will make the utmost effort to manage the situation, carry out recovery work and support the victims," Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung said.
- Black smoke rises from a car parts plant in the central city of Daejeon on March 20, 2026. (Yonhap) Firefighters have not been able to enter the structure due to concerns it could collapse.
- Also complicating the firefighting effort is 200 kilograms of sodium inside the building, which could explode if poorly handled.
- Black smoke rises from a car parts plant in the central city of Daejeon on March 20, 2026, in this photo provided by the National Fire Agency. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) hague@yna.co.kr elly@yna.co.kr (END) Keywords #car plant #fire Articles with issue keywords Most Liked Netflix, BTS to turn Seoul into world's 'biggest watch party' Four decades of Damien Hirst on display at MMCA, from shark to cherry blossoms (LEAD) FM Cho sidesteps questions on whether U.S. asked Seoul to send warships to Middle East Ex-U.S. officials voice concerns about Trump gov't 'vacating' deterrence assets from Indo-Pacific amid Iran war Korean Pavilion at Venice Biennale seeks comfort through art, with Han Kang's sculpture of blackened trees Most Saved Netflix, BTS to turn Seoul into world's 'biggest watch party' (LEAD) FM Cho sidesteps questions on whether U.S. asked Seoul to send warships to Middle East Four decades of Damien Hirst on display at MMCA, from shark to cherry blossoms Korean Pavilion at Venice Biennale seeks comfort through art, with Han Kang's sculpture of blackened trees (2nd LD) N.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers fire, daejeon, plant topics. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 906.