According to fire authorities, the blaze started early Saturday morning at Kumho Tire's factory in Gwangju, forcing about 400 workers to evacuate and leaving three people injured including two firefighters.
Some 1,236 cases of damage have been reported so far by residents near the factory, with nearly half or 603 cases involving symptoms such as headaches, nausea, and dizziness.
Although the main fire was extinguished on Sunday, firefighters faced difficulties putting out lingering flames due to highly flammable materials like raw rubber and chemicals stored at the factory.
As much as 65 percent of the factory's equipment was severely damaged, with production unlikely to resume for several months.
The fire is suspected to have been caused by sparks from an industrial electric oven at the factory, but a thorough investigation into the exact cause will require more time, with police looking into possible negligence or breaches of safety regulations.
reporter
Im Yoon-seo
lyseo0330@ajupress.com
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