Police have charged three more executives and employees in the safety management chain of command in connection with the Hanwha Aerospace explosion that killed and injured seven people.
The Metropolitan Investigation Unit of the Daejeon Police Agency said on the 31st that it had additionally charged three people, including a Hanwha Aerospace employee identified as A, on suspicion of occupational negligence resulting in death and injury. Including Daejeon plant chief Kah Jae-woong, who was charged earlier, the number of executives and employees charged in connection with the accident has risen to four in total.
A and the others are suspected of neglecting their safety management duties in connection with the explosion that occurred on the 1st of last month in the cleaning room of Building 56 at Hanwha Aerospace's Daejeon plant in Oesam-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon. The accident killed five employees and injured two.
According to police, these individuals were executives and employees in the chain of command for cleaning operation safety management. Police had earlier obtained a statement saying, "The initial explosion appears to have occurred in the cleaning machine, and at the time an internal tank of the cleaning machine was being cleaned."
Police believe the explosion occurred while workers were cleaning an internal tank of the cleaning machine that temporarily stores sludge, including explosive residue generated during the cleaning process. To determine the exact cause of the accident, police have requested that the National Forensic Service examine the cleaning machine and cleaning tools.
The forensic results are expected to be released as early as October. Along with this, police are continuing their investigation into overall safety management, including whether the amount of hazardous materials stored at the site was appropriate.
