[Anchor]

A large fire broke out at a factory in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, this morning (October 16). Fire authorities issued a Level 2 response and fully extinguished the fire after two and a half hours. Eight people, including six firefighters, were injured and taken to the hospital.

Our first report comes from reporter Dong Eunyeong.

[Reporter]

Blazing red flames burst through the windows, and thick black smoke continuously billows into the sky.

[Nearby resident: "Oh no."]=

The fire broke out at around 8:40 a.m. today at a metal parts painting factory in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province.

[Nearby resident: "The smoke was rising so black... All the surrounding areas are factories. It looked like many people connected to those factories had come outside."]=

Concerned that the fire could spread due to the density of nearby factories, fire authorities issued a Level 1 response 20 minutes after receiving the report. They then upgraded it to a Level 2 response about 10 minutes later, mobilizing personnel and equipment from 5 to 6 neighboring fire stations.

The fire was completely extinguished at 11:06 a.m., about two and a half hours later, but casualties occurred.

Two firefighters in their 40s who took part in the initial suppression were trapped before being rescued. One of them was transported to the hospital in cardiac arrest, and the other sustained serious injuries.

[Kim Suseok / Head of Fire Prevention Division, Bucheon Fire Station: "When heat and smoke spread rapidly, escape routes near the entrance can become blocked. It appears the two of them were working together as a two-person team."]=

Additionally, four other firefighters and two factory workers were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation and other injuries and are receiving treatment.

The fire is reported to have started in the laundry room on the third floor of the factory.

Processes involving metal solutions followed by printing were carried out there, and authorities identified that about 2 tons of Class 4 hazardous materials, specifically Class 2 petroleums, were stored on the third floor at the time.

(Video by Joo Yongjin | Video Editing by Ahn Yejin)