Explosion at Hanwha Aerospace plant kills five, injures two

An explosion and fire at a Hanwha Aerospace defense plant in Daejeon, South Korea, killed five workers and injured two others on Monday morning. The blast occurred at approximately 10:59 a.m. local time at the facility, located about 140 kilometers south of Seoul.

Authorities said the explosion triggered a blaze that took firefighters nearly an hour to bring under control. The five victims died at the scene. The two injured workers managed to escape on their own; one suffered severe burns and remains hospitalized in critical condition, while the other sustained minor injuries and was treated and released.

Initial reports from officials and the company suggest the explosion may have occurred during cleaning operations involving explosive materials or rocket propellant. The exact cause remains under investigation. The affected area is a government-designated national security facility, which has complicated the investigation by restricting access and limiting the immediate availability of building plans to authorities.

The deceased, who have not yet been formally identified due to the severity of their injuries, were all employees of Hanwha. The company stated the victims included...