Five killed, two injured in explosion at South Korean aerospace factory

WEB DESK: Five people were killed and two others injured after an explosion and fire ripped through a rocket propellant production line at a Hanwha Aerospace factory in South Korea’s central city of Daejeon on Monday, officials said.

Fire authorities said the blast triggered a fire at the facility, while the exact cause of the explosion remained under investigation, according to The Express Tribune.

Two workers survived the incident and managed to escape the site on their own, including one who suffered severe burns.

Victims yet to be identified

Officials said the bodies of the five victims were severely damaged, complicating efforts to identify them. According to Hanwha Aerospace, all five were company employees, including two temporary workers in their 20s.

A company official told a briefing that the explosion appeared to have occurred while water was being used to clean explosive residue from tools involved in the production of rocket propellant. Emergency responders and investigators continued to examine the scene to determine the circumstances leading to the accident.

President orders investigation

Hanwha Aerospace Chief Executive Officer Son Jae-il apologised to the victims and their families, pledging full cooperation with authorities investigating the incident.

“We bow our heads in apology to the victims and their bereaved families,” Son said.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung ordered the mobilisation of all available resources in response to the accident and called for a thorough investigation, according to his office.

Hanwha Aerospace is one of South Korea’s leading defence and aerospace firms. The Daejeon facility manufactures large propulsion engines and handles rocket propellants. Officials noted that access to the factory’s layout was restricted because the site is protected under national security regulations.

The accident also weighed on investor sentiment, with shares of Hanwha Aerospace falling 2.8pc in afternoon trading, while shares of parent company Hanwha Corp dropped 3.4pc.