According to local authorities, the fire alarm was received at 13:17, which required the National Fire Agency to mobilize resources to combat the flames. This decision is made when local forces are unable to cope with the scale of the incident.
At the time of the fire, there were 170 employees at the factory, of whom 14 have not yet been found.
Many of the injured, including 24 people with serious injuries, suffered from inhaling toxic fumes and falls from heights.
More than 200 firefighters and 90 units of equipment were involved in extinguishing the fire, with support also provided by helicopters from the forest service.
Of the two buildings at the factory, one has completely burned down, while the other continues to burn. Firefighters cannot enter the burning building due to concerns about its potential collapse.
Difficulties in extinguishing the fire are also related to the presence of 200 kilograms of sodium in the premises, which can lead to an explosion if mishandled.
President Lee Jae-myung has ordered the mobilization of all available forces to address the aftermath and contain the fire.
