ULSAN, South Korea — A massive fire broke out at a chemical manufacturing plant in South Korea’s southeastern industrial hub of Ulsan, triggering a major emergency response and forcing approximately 7,000 workers in the surrounding industrial zone to evacuate as thick black smoke blanketed the area.
The blaze ignited at approximately 9:41 a.m. local time at an outdoor storage tank containing around 8,000 liters of toluene, a highly flammable chemical solvent. Loud explosion sounds rattled nearby structures, causing sparks and flying embers to ignite secondary fires on neighboring lawns and threatening adjacent chemical storage units.
All workers on-site at the facility managed to evacuate safely. However, as dense, toxic smoke and chemical fumes drifted toward neighboring industrial properties, energy giant S-OIL partially suspended operations at its nearby Shaheen petrochemical project site.
Construction crews and employees from adjacent facilities were ordered to immediately cease work and evacuate to safe zones.
"Everyone felt uneasy when the explosion sounds were heard, and an order to suspend work was issued, so we moved out immediately," said one worker at the scene. "Work was suspended because smoke spread toward the construction site and there was a risk of additional explosions."
South Korean fire authorities responded by issuing a national fire mobilization order, summoning specialized hazmat vehicles, firefighting helicopters, and over 200 personnel from surrounding cities and regions to tackle the high-risk blaze.
Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung instructed emergency agencies to deploy all available resources to contain the threat and verify that no individuals were trapped or missing. Municipal authorities simultaneously restricted traffic along key industrial access corridors to maintain emergency access routes.
Fire crews successfully brought the blaze under control within four hours. No casualties were reported. Police and forensic fire investigators have launched an inquiry to determine the precise cause of the ignition.
The economic fallout and operational impact of the incident are already being assessed across Ulsan's heavy industrial corridor. Environmental officials have begun air quality monitoring and water runoff sampling around the perimeter of the facility to evaluate potential chemical contamination from the burned toluene. While S-OIL and other nearby industrial partners anticipate resuming full construction and production activities once safety clearances are granted, local municipal authorities announced they will conduct mandatory safety audits across all high-capacity chemical storage sites in the region to prevent similar industrial hazards
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