The death toll from an explosion at a South Korean aerospace manufacturing plant has risen to five, according to media reports citing fire authorities on Monday.
The blast occurred at a Hanwha Aerospace facility in Daejeon, located about 150 kilometres south of Seoul. Emergency services received the first report of the explosion at 10:59 a.m. local time (0159 GMT).
Fire authorities confirmed that five people were killed and two others injured in the accident at the plant operated by Hanwha Aerospace, South Korea’s leading aerospace and defence company.
Authorities said around 30 emergency calls were received from residents reporting a loud explosion and smoke rising from the site.
A level-1 emergency response was issued at approximately 11:17 a.m. local time, and firefighters brought the blaze under control by 11:49 a.m.
The plant has a history of similar incidents, having experienced rocket propellant explosions in 2018 and 2019 that left a total of eight people dead or injured.
Police and fire officials believe the latest explosion occurred on the first floor of the facility for reasons that remain unclear. An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the accident.