A fire broke out at LG Chem’s catalyst plant at its petrochemical complex in the city of Seosan, South Korea, at around 2:20 PM local time on Tuesday. A local media reported that the incident left one staff member dead, while two others suffered second-degree burns to the face and neck and were sent to a nearby hospital.
An official with the Seosan Fire Station said firefighters managed to put the fire under control by 3:30 PM. The fire likely occurred due to excessively high pressure which caused a catalyst, which was being transported, igniting spontaneously. As soon as police and fire authorities clear up the scene, they will start an investigation on the exact cause of the incident.
LG Chem immediately shut the facility down. So far, no leak of harmful chemicals has been reported. The fire came as the company reels from a deadly gas leak at its production facility in India, which caused 12 fatalities and sickened more than 1,000 people.
