Ulsan, South Korea— A chemical spill at a plastics components factory in the Ulsan industrial complex at 10:05 a.m. Tuesday released a cloud of irritant gas, hospitalizing 12 workers and forcing evacuation of two adjacent buildings.
The spill occurred when a transfer line carrying a chlorine-based solvent ruptured during routine pumping. Workers in the mixing hall reported a sharp smell, then burning eyes and throat. The gas spread quickly through ventilation ducts.
Twelve workers were taken to Ulsan University Hospital with respiratory distress, nausea, and skin irritation. Four were placed on oxygen. Doctors said none were in critical condition but all would be observed for 24 hours for delayed pulmonary effects.
"The pipe burst. White vapor filled the hall. We ran to showers. Some fell near the door," said a line operator who escaped and was treated on site. He said alarms sounded 30 seconds after the leak started.
The factory’s emergency team shut valves and activated scrubbers. Fire brigades in chemical suits contained the residual liquid and neutralized the spill with absorbent. Air monitoring outside the plant showed no dangerous levels beyond the perimeter.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor ordered an immediate work stoppage for the affected unit. Inspectors seized maintenance records and safety data sheets. The factory had been cited last year for inadequate gas detectors in that hall.
"The detector was at the ceiling. This gas is heavier than air. It pooled low. Design flaw," a labor safety inspector said at a briefing. He spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is not yet formal.
Ulsan houses South Korea’s largest petrochemical cluster. Chemical exposure incidents have prompted stricter rules since a 2022 leak that killed four workers in Yeosu.
The company apologized and said it would cover medical costs and install low-level detectors within a week. Families gathered at the hospital gate as workers were wheeled in.
Prosecutors will decide whether to pursue criminal negligence charges after the labor office completes its report in the next 72 hours.
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