Daedeok, South Korea: 11 dead and 59 injured already

Terror gripped the Daedeok district this Saturday, March 21, 2026, as rescue workers searched the charred remains of an auto parts factory after a fire of unusual intensity. The provisional death toll, released by the Ministry of the Interior, stands at at least 11, with 25 seriously injured and 34 slightly injured, while three workers remain missing.

The blaze broke out Friday afternoon around 1:18 p.m., when approximately 170 employees were inside the industrial complex.

Testifying to the speed of the blaze’s spread, survivors reported hearing a muffled explosion before the flames engulfed the structure.

More than 500 firefighters, police officers, and rescue workers were mobilized to contain the inferno, but the teams were initially hampered by the building’s instability, which threatened to collapse at any moment.

To secure access and cool the metal shell, authorities deployed autonomous firefighting robots, allowing searches to begin in the most dangerous areas as early as Friday evening.

Although the fire was declared under control around 11:48 p.m. after ten hours of intense firefighting, the exact causes of the disaster remain unknown.

A thorough technical investigation has been launched to determine whether the fire originated from an electrical malfunction, the handling of flammable chemicals, or a defect in the plant’s fire safety systems, as the nation observes a day of mourning for the victims of this industrial tragedy.