Daejeon data centre fire disrupts online government services

A fire that broke out late Friday at the National Information Resources Service data centre in Daejeon has disrupted scores of South Korean government online services, injured one worker and prompted an urgent nationwide recovery and investigation effort, officials said. The blaze began at about 8:20 p.m. local time on the fifth floor of the facility, authorities said, and was reported to have originated in a lithium ion uninterruptible power supply battery that exploded during relocation work.

Officials said the battery explosion triggered a thermal runaway that produced extreme heat in the server room, complicating firefighting efforts and forcing crews to limit the use of water. Firefighters and emergency personnel were deployed in large numbers, with different briefings reporting between about 70 and as many as 200 responders and dozens of vehicles. The fire was brought under control early on Saturday, but crews continued ventilation and suppression work after pockets of heat briefly reignited. Authorities later said the blaze had been declared extinguished by Saturday evening.

The incident damaged critical cooling, power and humidity control systems and forced the shutdown...