D-Report: "Cleaning Inside Washer at Time of Explosion"... Police Investigating Amount of Explosive Residue

Police investigating the explosion at the Hanwha Aerospace Daejeon plant, which resulted in seven casualties including five deaths, have secured testimony that the explosion occurred inside a cleaning machine.

The Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency's Metropolitan Investigation Unit announced today (July 2) that they have obtained specific testimony from a witness at the scene stating that cleaning was underway inside the washer at the time of the explosion.

[Ryu Geun-sil / Chief of the Metropolitan Investigation Unit, Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency: According to the statements from those involved, they were cleaning waste propellant sludge from the washer.]

Building 56 at the Daejeon plant, where the explosion occurred, is a facility used for dismantling and cleaning chemical equipment such as pipes and valves. The process involves scraping off residue using spatula-like tools, submerging the equipment in a rectangular metal tank, and then cleaning off contaminants with high-pressure machinery.

It has been determined that while the pipes attached to the cleaning machines are cleaned by an external contractor, the internal cleaning of the washers has been handled directly by Hanwha Aerospace employees.

Accordingly, police have collected 17 items from the accident site, including tools believed to have been used for cleaning the tank and parts of the washer, and have requested a detailed forensic analysis from the National Forensic Service.

However, police are conducting further investigations as the testimonies from those involved differ regarding the exact amount of explosive material remaining inside the washer.

Legal proceedings against those responsible for the accident are also gaining momentum.

The police have booked the head of the Hanwha Aerospace Daejeon plant on charges of professional negligence resulting in death and injury and are currently conducting an investigation.

The Daejeon Regional Employment and Labor Office has also booked two individuals on charges of violating the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, and is currently investigating the matter.

[Yeon Hyun-seok / Head of the Serious Accident Investigation Division, Daejeon Regional Employment and Labor Office: We are investigating the direct cause of the fire and explosion, any related legal violations, and the structural causes that led to such an incident under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.]

The police and the labor office stated that they are not ruling out the possibility of additional charges depending on the results of the investigation.

Reported by Hong Seung-yeon | Video by Kim Min-chul | Video Editing by Yoon Tae-ho | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.