Fire breaks out at ink factory in Hwaseong; no casualties reported

A fire broke out at an ink manufacturing factory south of Seoul on Friday, but no casualties were reported, officials said. The blaze occurred at 7:15 a.m. at the factory in Hwaseong, 45 kilometers south of Seoul, before firefighters brought the flames under control about an hour later at 8:30 a.m. Thirty-one fire engines and 78 personnel were mobilized to battle the blaze. Three workers have evacuated from the plant, but no casualties were reported. The factory is located just about 500 meters away from the lithium battery plant where 23 workers were killed and eight others injured in a fire last week. The 1,700-square-meter factory comprises six buildings and houses harmful chemical substances, including ethyl acetate. The city government sent out emergency texts urging residents to refrain from going out, citing plumes of smoke coming from the fire. Fire authorities are looking into the exact cause of the fire and the scope of the damage. Source: Yonhap News Agency