8 January 2008
folder [featCategs]
Explosion in refrigerated warehouse kills 30
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A FIRE in a South Korean warehouse for refrigerated goods killed 30 of 57 workers and ten are missing.
The explosion happened on the morning of January 7, in the warehouse's basement situated 50 miles south of Seoul.
It is owned by logistics firm Korea 2000, Ltd which specializes in the construction of refrigerated warehouses. The warehouse was built only last year and the firm had planned to officially open the the building next weekend.
The 57 people in the building were 34 refrigerant facility technicians, 17 electricians, three air conditioner specialists and several managers.
Reports in the regional press report the explosion occurred as oil vapors spread on the floor ignited when maintenance was being conducted in the basement. The fire triggered other explosions, as chemicals stored in the building ignited and spread poisonous gases.
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