Massive fire devastates Kumho Tire's plant in South Korea

The fire began Saturday morning at the factory in Gwangju, some 270 kilometers southeast of Seoul. About 460 personnel and 170 pieces of equipment were mobilised to put out the fire, reports Yonhap news agency.

Authorities have suspected that the fire may have started from equipment used for heating raw rubber. Kumho Tire has halted production at the plant due to the fire.

Kumho Tire CEO Jung Il-taik apologised for the fire, vowing to make all-out recovery efforts.

"(We) will make efforts to minimize inconvenience to those who live near the Gwangju factory and have evacuated," he said. "I truly, deeply apologise. (We) will place extinguishing the fire as the top priority by actively working with the authorities."

A total of 182 residents of an apartment near the factory have evacuated to a shelter at Kwangju Women's University due to the fire.

Earlier, Kumho Tire suspended production at its Gwangju plant after a massive fire engulfed a major section of the facility, prompting authorities to issue a nationwide firefighting mobilisation order as the blaze continued to spread.

The fire, which started around 7:11 a.m. at the factory in Gwangju, some 270 kilometers southeast of Seoul, has rapidly spread through plant buildings, with flames reportedly reaching as high as 100 meters, according to fire officials.

Kumho Tire, South Korea's second-largest tire maker, said all production has been halted at the plant. About 400 workers on duty at the time were evacuated, but one male employee in his 20s suffered injuries and was transported to a local hospital. His injuries are not considered life-threatening.

The fire is suspected to have started from equipment used for heating raw rubber. Authorities said it may take up to several days to completely extinguish the fire, noting that about 20 tons of raw rubber was stored at the factory, hampering firefighting efforts.