CHEONAN — Three people were killed in a fire that broke out at a paint materials manufacturing plant in Dongnam District, Cheonan, in South Chungcheong Province, at about 11:44 a.m. on the 28th.
Firefighters declared a Level 1 emergency response at 12:05 p.m. and deployed 45 fire trucks and 98 personnel to fight the blaze.
One person was killed, one was injured and two went missing in the fire, according to the South Chungcheong Fire Service Headquarters. The death toll later rose to three as firefighters found additional victims during search operations.
The Cheonan city government sent an emergency text alert at 12:12 p.m. notifying residents of the fire and urging nearby residents to stay alert and drivers to take detours.
Interior and Safety Minister Yoon Ho-jung called on related agencies, including the National Fire Agency, the National Police Agency, South Chungcheong Province and the city of Cheonan, to mobilize all available personnel and equipment for rescue operations and firefighting. "Please do your best to evacuate workers quickly to prevent casualties and to ensure that no firefighters are injured while battling the blaze," the minister said.
