The fire alarm at Anjeon Industry's factory in Daejeon did sound when the blaze broke out — but it was turned off almost immediately, police have found. The fire, which killed 14 people and injured 60, has prompted a widening criminal investigation, with travel bans imposed on six company executives.
The Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency's regional crime investigation unit said at a briefing Monday that the delayed evacuation was just as critical as the fire's origin and rapid spread. "Combining statements from those involved, the alarm did go off when the fire first broke out, but it was shut off shortly after," police said.
As a result, workers perceived the alarm as a routine malfunction, police explained. They only began to evacuate after hearing others screaming or seeing smoke.
Police said the alarm's abrupt cutoff is considered a key factor that delayed evacuation. Investigators are working to determine why the alarm stopped, whether someone manually turned it off, and whether there was a systemic malfunction.
Police also found that the company had turned off sprinklers in a section of the factory's third floor that housed an unlicensed sodium refinery. The sprinklers were disabled because sodium explodes on contact with water, police said.
So far, police have questioned 53 people connected to the case. A total of 256 items, including work PCs and personal mobile phones, seized during a search on June 23 are undergoing digital forensic analysis. Police have also imposed a travel ban on six executives, including Anjeon Industry CEO Son Ju-hwan.
The investigation into the fire's cause is also accelerating. Police are conducting on-site examinations based on testimony from the first eyewitness, who stated that the fire started in a ceiling duct on Line 4 of the first floor. The witness, who had remained at his post to monitor a continuously rotating machine while operations were suspended, spotted the flames and rushed to grab a fire extinguisher. However, the fire spread too rapidly, and he evacuated after hearing someone shout, "We need to get out now."
The fire broke out on June 20 at Anjeon Industry, an auto parts manufacturer located in Munpyeong-dong, Daedeok-gu, Daejeon, killing 14 and injuring 60.
