Fire erupts at POSCO Pohang Steelworks with loud earthquake-like bang, extinguished after 5 hours, no casualties

[Anchor]

A large fire broke out at the POSCO Pohang Steelworks early this morning (Nov. 10).

One worker at the scene suffered burns. A massive pillar of fire and explosion sounds like a war zone shook several buildings, leaving residents in fear.

Kim Ji-hoon reports.

[Report]

The bright red flames seem to engulf the building.

Black smoke rises endlessly into the sky.

["Wow... (the smoke) is aggressively rising."]

The fire broke out around 4:20 AM at the 3rd Finex plant of POSCO in Pohang, Gyeongbuk.

Residents trembled in fear until dawn.

[Lee In-tae/Pohang, Gyeongbuk: "There was a bang sound for about 5 minutes, and then on the third bang, it went boom... it was a huge bang, like lightning."]

The fire department issued a Level 1 response, mobilizing all personnel from the local fire station just 30 minutes after receiving the report.

A total of 44 fire trucks and 121 personnel were deployed, and the fire was completely extinguished after 5 hours.

Seven workers who were working on site at the time of the fire were evacuated, and one person suffered burns to the face and arms and is receiving treatment at a nearby hospital.

The loud noise from the time of the fire outbreak could be heard several kilometers away.

[Kim Yong-deuk/Pohang, Gyeongbuk: "The house shook, and it felt like an earthquake. I was really scared."]

The 3rd Finex plant where the fire occurred is 50 meters high and is a facility that produces molten iron by inputting iron ore and bituminous coal.

The fire department and POSCO suspect one of the reasons for the fire to be an abnormality in the cooling water system that caused the cables to catch fire.

The police plan to investigate the possibility of equipment malfunction and worker negligence through a joint examination with the National Forensic Service.

This is KBS News Kim Ji-hoon.