By Kim Se-jeong
An explosion at a chemical plant in Ulsan killed six workers on Friday, according to fire officials.
The explosion occurred at the wastewater storage facility at the Hanwha Chemical plant in the southern district of the industrial city.
Eleven workers were at the site when the explosion happened at 9:16 a.m., officials said.
Those killed were technicians from a subcontractor of Hanwha who were doing welding work. The facility was filled with wastewater at the time of the blast, so rescuers had to drain it in their search for a missing worker, who was later found dead.
A security guard at the plant sustained a minor injury.
The victims were welding to connect a new pipe to a water pump on top of the five-meter-high wastewater storage facility, and Hanwha Chemical said it suspected gases caught in the bottom of the facility might have triggered the explosion.
The explosion destroyed the ceiling of the facility and parts of cement walls. The collapsed ceiling may have caused the deaths, according to fire authorities.
Police and fire officials mobilized 20 fire trucks and 50 officers to remove debris and drain the water.
Police are investigating the cause of the blast. Investigators from the National Forensic Service also examined the scene. Police plan to punish Hanwha officials in charge of plant safety if negligence is found.
Hanwha Chemical also sent representatives to the site.
“We express our condolences to the families of the victims who lost their lives in the blast,” Kim Chang-beom, the company’s president, said in a media briefing at the plant.
“We feel responsible for their deaths and will be there to assist family members with whatever needs they have. We’ll stop the production line of the factory until the cause of the accident is found. We will also make sure this will not happen again.”
Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn also expressed his condolences to the families and urged the company to ensure the safety of employees at the factory.
The Hanwha Chemical plant produces polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a material used in making plastic products. Almost 260 people work on the site, producing 32,700 tons of PVC a year.