A joint investigation into the explosion at Hanwha Aerospace's Daejeon facility has concluded, with police now focusing on determining the cause of the incident that resulted in seven casualties, including five fatalities.
According to Yonhap News, the Daejeon Police Agency conducted a joint investigation with fire officials, the National Forensic Service, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency starting at around 10 a.m. on June 2. The investigation lasted approximately six hours and 40 minutes, concluding at 4:40 p.m.
The explosion occurred at 10:59 a.m. on June 1 in the cleaning room of Building 56 at the facility. At the time, workers were reportedly cleaning tools used for manufacturing projectiles, which were contaminated with gunpowder. Five workers died, and two others sustained serious injuries.
Police focused their investigation on the suspected ignition point, examining the site for evidence while removing collapsed walls and steel structures with heavy machinery. However, most evidence was destroyed, limiting visual confirmation of the cause.
The police plan to send debris collected from the site to the National Forensic Service for detailed analysis. It was also noted that there were no closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras inside the building, prompting investigators to analyze footage from external cameras.
To confirm the identities of the deceased, police have requested DNA analysis from the families of the victims. An autopsy was also conducted on the same day.
Yoo Seung-sik, head of the scientific investigation unit at the Daejeon Police Agency, stated, "We will only be able to determine the presence of flammable materials after the detailed examination of the collected evidence is completed. We will announce the identities of the deceased as soon as we receive confirmation from the forensic agency, and we may conduct additional joint investigations if necessary."
The dedicated investigation team has already interviewed two individuals: an employee who returned to work after receiving treatment for injuries and another who was off duty on the day of the incident. The cleaning team initially consisted of eight members, with one member responsible for safety management and another being a new hire who had joined with the two deceased contract workers.
Police have confirmed that they are investigating the circumstances leading up to the explosion, including the cleaning procedures, the composition of cleaning agents, and whether safety guidelines were established and followed.
Additionally, police have obtained some documents from Hanwha Aerospace related to the cause of the accident and safety management practices through voluntary submission.
A police official told Yonhap News, "We will continue to conduct witness interviews and gather materials, keeping all possibilities open as we investigate the cause of the accident."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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