SEOUL, May 04 (AJP) - Two workers died and three others were hospitalized after inhaling toxic gas at a paper factory in Jeonju City on Sunday.
According to the North Jeolla Fire Department and Jeonju Deokjin Police Station, an emergency call was made at 9:44 a.m. reporting that a worker had fallen into a manhole and lost consciousness from suspected gas exposure at the factory in Jeonju some 200 kilometers (124 miles) south of Seoul.
One of the victims, a man in his 40s, was pulled out of the manhole in a semi-conscious state and transported to a nearby hospital. Two other workers, including a man in his 50s, who were on a nearby ladder, also reported symptoms of dizziness and were taken to the hospital.
Authorities believe the five employees had come to the factory that day to clean equipment. For an unknown reason, one of the workers reportedly entered a 3-meter-deep manhole filled with paper sludge. His coworkers, noticing his absence, found him inside and attempted to rescue him, resulting in the accident.
Police confirmed all five individuals involved were South Korean employees of the paper company.
A police official stated, "The manhole was not scheduled for cleaning, and his colleagues are unsure why he entered it." The official added that investigators suspect the victims were poisoned by toxic gas and are questioning personnel to determine the exact circumstances.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
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