Investigators probe deadly Daejeon factory fire

The first on-site inspection into the deadly fire at a Saejeon Industrial facility in Daedeok District, Daejeon, was conducted Sunday morning, more than 70 hours after the blaze broke out. The fire left 14 people dead and 60 injured. Authorities said the inspection would focus on identifying the point of ignition, citing witness accounts that flames first erupted from the ceiling on the first floor.

According to the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency, 64 personnel from nine agencies, including the Daejeon Fire Headquarters, the National Forensic Service and the Daejeon Regional Employment and Labor Office, took part in the inspection, which began at 10:30 a.m. Two representatives of the victims’ families were also present.

Investigators examined facilities along the first-floor production line, where the fire is believed to have started. Access was limited, however, as parts of the steel structure had collapsed in the blaze. The team entered only safe sections, assessing equipment layouts and collecting debris for analysis. "There is a risk of further collapse, so the inspection is being carried out with caution," a police official said.

Fire authorities believe the blaze began on the first floor and spread rapidly after igniting accumulated flammable vapors inside the factory, based on witness accounts. An employee who was at the scene shortly after the fire broke out on March 20 said, “The fire started on the first floor. We tried to put it out with a fire hydrant, but the flames were too intense, so we evacuated.”

Separately, police and the Daejeon Regional Employment and Labor Office carried out search and seizure operations at the company’s headquarters and factory, as well as the residences of its CEO and employees. Investigators secured documents including factory blueprints and floor-by-floor workflow records. Authorities plan to use the materials to examine the suspected illegal construction of a so-called “2.5th floor” and whether proper oversight was exercised by relevant agencies.

Son Joo-hwan, head of Saejeon Industrial, said he was unaware of the alleged illegal expansion. "I don’t know," he said. "If it is determined that the construction was illegal, I will take responsibility, but for now we need to wait for the investigation to conclude."


Kim Tae Young live@donga.com