Fire leaves 3 dead, 15 injured

A suspected explosion of liquid petroleum gas tank at a manufacturing plant of LPG gas canisters for home-use, Dae Heung Manufacture, in Jungwang-dong, Si-heung area in Gyeonggi Province led to a fire at about 9:37 p.m. Wednesday.

In the explosion and the fire, three employees were killed, while 15 others including, Lee Young-Joon, received burns to their bodies. The bodies of the three deceased were burned beyond recognition.

The fire burned down an area of about 200 pyeong out of the 2,000-pyeong manufacturing plant and caused damage estimated at 45 million won before being brought under control around 10 p.m., 50 minutes later.

With the report of fire, 30 or so fire engines and 120 firefighters were dispatched to the scene but met with some difficulties as the area was a densely packed with many other factories.

The bodies of the deceased are at the Si-hwa hospital in the area, and the burn victims are at Korea University's Ansan Hospital and Gil Hospital in Incheon for treatment.

According to the words of the witnesses who heard a loud explosion as they were transporting the LPG tanks followed by a blaze of flame, the police are investigating the possibility of chain-reaction explosions, which could have led to the fire.

Nam Kyung-Hyun bibulus@donga.com