SK Energy apologizes over worker death in factory fire

Firefighters put out a fire at an SK Energy Co. factory in Ulsan, Friday. Yonhap

SK Energy Co., a major oil refinery in South Korea, issued an apology Saturday over the death of a worker in a pipeline fire accident the day before.

The fire broke out at an SK Energy factory in Ulsan, Friday, during maintenance work on hydrogen facilities, resulting in the death of one person and injuring four others.

"We take responsibility for the accident at our Ulsan plant and view it as a serious matter," the company said in the written apology.

"We will immediately provide all necessary support to the bereaved family (of the dead worker) and do our utmost to ensure the swift recovery of the injured workers," it added.

SK Energy said it will "faithfully" cooperate with the investigative authorities to identify the cause of the accident and devise measures to prevent any recurrences.