Officials in South Korea report that 11 individuals lost their lives as a massive fire consumed a vehicle components factory in the central city of Daejeon. Three more are still unaccounted for and 59 sustained injuries.
Footage reveals large flames and dense smoke emanating from the structure, while firefighters battled to bring the fire under control. At the time of the incident, there were 170 employees present inside.
The firefighters noted that they could not access the facility earlier because of fears it might collapse. There was also a concern regarding the potential ignition of stored sodium on the premises.
A nighttime search commenced for those missing once the building was declared safe to enter. Authorities have yet to officially determine the cause of the fire, but indicated that it seemed to have escalated quickly.
