South Korea probes fatal blast at Hanwha Aerospace plant

South Korean police, fire officials and forensic experts on Tuesday launched a joint inspection of a Hanwha Aerospace facility in the central city of Daejeon after an explosion killed five workers and injured two others during cleaning operations, according to local media reports. The blast occurred on Monday at the defense company's factory approximately 140 kilometers (87 miles) south of Seoul, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Investigation launched

Hanwha officials said workers were cleaning propellant powder residue from tools used in producing propulsion systems when the incident occurred. Police, labor ministry representatives and safety agency personnel are investigating the cause of the explosion, including whether flammable materials were present at the site, while Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon pledged a thorough probe. Police added that the damaged building was not at risk of collapse.

History of deadly accidents

The facility, which develops large propulsion engines and tactical surface-to-surface weapon systems, has been the site of several fatal explosions in recent years. In 2018, an explosion at the factory killed five people, with another blast in 2019 claiming three lives.