Five individuals lost their lives and two others were injured following a powerful explosion and subsequent fire at a rocket propellant production line within a Hanwha Aerospace facility in Daejeon, South Korea, on Monday. Fire officials confirmed the blast ignited a fire at the plant, while the precise cause remains under investigation.
Among the survivors were two workers who managed to escape independently, one of whom sustained serious burn injuries. The identities of the deceased have not yet been confirmed, as their bodies were severely damaged, complicating identification efforts. Hanwha Aerospace confirmed all five victims were employees, including two temporary workers in their twenties.
In a briefing, a company representative indicated the explosion likely occurred during the cleaning process, when water was applied to remove explosive residues from tools used in rocket propellant manufacturing. Emergency personnel and investigators continue to examine the site to uncover the exact circumstances behind the accident.
In a significant development, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung directed the deployment of all available resources to address the incident and demanded a comprehensive investigation. Hanwha Aerospace’s CEO, Son Jae-il, expressed deep regret to the victims and their families, pledging full cooperation with authorities.
Hanwha Aerospace is a prominent defense and aerospace company in South Korea. Its Daejeon plant specializes in producing large propulsion engines and managing rocket propellants. Due to national security regulations, access to the factory’s layout is highly restricted.
The accident also affected market confidence, with Hanwha Aerospace shares dropping 2.8% during afternoon trading, while the parent company, Hanwha Corp, saw its shares decline by 3.4%.
