Explosion and Fire at Seosan Lotte Chemical 'Extinguished'... 26 Injured Transported to Hospital

Around 2:59 a.m. on the 4th, a fire broke out with an explosion sound at Lotte Chemical Daesan Plant in Daesan-eup, Seosan-si, Chungnam, causing exterior materials of nearby buildings to fall. Source=Yonhap News

[Asia Economy (Seosan) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] The large fire at the Lotte Chemical Daesan Plant in Seosan, Chungnam has been extinguished. Fire authorities are currently cleaning up the remaining embers at the site.

According to Chungnam Fire Authorities on the 4th, a fire broke out around 2:59 a.m. at the naphtha cracking center inside the Lotte Chemical Daesan Plant, accompanied by an explosion sound.

The naphtha cracking center is a facility that pyrolyzes naphtha at an ultra-high temperature of over 1200 degrees Celsius to produce ethylene, propylene, pyrolysis gasoline, and other products.

Immediately after the fire broke out, the fire authorities issued a Level 2 response. About 240 nearby firefighters and 38 fire trucks were dispatched, and the large fire was brought under control around 5:12 a.m., about two hours after the fire started. The Level 2 response has now been lifted.

There have been no reported fatalities from the fire so far, but injuries have been numerous. As of 8 a.m., the fire authorities confirmed a total of 26 injured persons. The injured are currently being transported to nearby hospitals for treatment, with some reported to have severe burns.

Near the Daesan Plant, glass windows of commercial and residential buildings were shattered, and parts of exterior walls fell. This damage is attributed to the shockwave from the explosion. Fire authorities currently estimate that the fire was caused by an explosion of some plant equipment inside the Daesan Plant.

In response, Seosan City sent out emergency disaster messages twice, urging residents to ensure their safety.

Meanwhile, Lotte Chemical has reportedly suspended operations at 7 out of 10 facilities within the Daesan Plant, and the schedule for resuming operations will be determined according to the maintenance status of the naphtha cracking center.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.