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/ Yonhap News Agency

An explosion at the Hanwha Aerospace plant in Yuseong District, Daejeon, has left six people dead and one slightly injured.

According to police and fire authorities on June 1, a 119 emergency call was received at approximately 10:59 a.m. reporting an explosion at the Hanwha Aerospace Daejeon plant in Oesam-dong, Yuseong District, Daejeon. The accident has been confirmed to have claimed the lives of six individuals and left one with minor injuries, while one other person successfully evacuated the scene unaided.

Immediately following the incident, the 119 emergency center received over 30 concurrent reports stating that "a loud explosion was heard" and "heavy smoke is rising." Residents living near the facility also reportedly heard the blast and felt tremors. The explosion reportedly ignited a fire in one of the buildings inside the plant compound.

Fire authorities issued a Level 1 response status at approximately 11:17 a.m., deploying 44 pieces of equipment and over 100 firefighters to combat the blaze. They successfully brought the main fire under control by 11:49 a.m.

Police and fire officials suspect that an explosion of unknown origin occurred on the first floor of the plant. While some observers have raised the possibility of a propellant explosion, the precise cause remains unconfirmed.

The Daejeon plant where the accident occurred is responsible for the manufacturing and research and development of tactical weapons and large-scale propellants for Hanwha Aerospace. The Hanwha Aerospace R&D Campus is also located nearby.

Police and fire authorities plan to launch a comprehensive investigation into the exact scale of casualties, the root cause of the blast, and whether safety protocols were strictly observed as soon as fire suppression and search operations are finalized.

                                                                                                           Seol So-young