Toxic gas kills 2 at concrete plant

[Anchor]

This afternoon (Aug. 21), three workers at a ready-mixed concrete plant in Suncheon, Jeollanam-do, suffocated from toxic gas, resulting in two deaths and one person in critical condition.

The incident occurred while they were cleaning a chemical tank.

This is a report by reporter Son Jun-soo.

[Report]

An excavator is tearing down sandwich panels.

The rescue team is moving the fallen tank to gain access.

Around 1:30 PM today, a report was received that three people had collapsed inside a temporary tank at the ready-mixed concrete plant.

The fire authorities rescued the three individuals from inside the tank after two hours and transported them to the hospital, but two died and one remains in critical condition.

The location of the accident was a tank with a narrow entrance, making it difficult for firefighters to enter, which delayed the rescue.

The accident occurred in a chemical storage tank used for concrete mixing, where cleaning work was being carried out.

When the worker did not come out after finishing the task, two other employees, including the plant manager, reportedly entered the tank to check on him, but all three suffocated.

[Park Yeon-soo/Head of the On-Site Response Team, Suncheon Fire Department: "One person went in to work first, then fell, and then another person went in, resulting in three people entering."]

A few hours after the accident, the concentration of hydrogen sulfide measured by the rescue authorities inside the storage tank was 58 ppm, which far exceeds the standard level, and it is estimated that the concentration was even higher at the time of the accident, making it difficult to breathe properly.

[Son Jun-hae/Head of the Major Industrial Accident Investigation Division, Gwangju Regional Employment and Labor Agency: "A precise investigation has not been conducted yet, but it seems that the concentration of hydrogen sulfide exceeded the standard level."]

Police and the Ministry of Employment and Labor are investigating the circumstances of the accident, including compliance with safety regulations such as ventilation and the provision of protective equipment.

This is KBS News, Son Jun-soo.