The death toll from Friday’s fire at an auto parts factory in the South Korean city of Daejeon has risen to 14, up from an initial count of 10, after rescue workers recovered remains from the charred building on Saturday.

Twenty-five people were seriously injured and another 35 sustained minor wounds, according to fire authorities. Of the 28 hospitalised as of Saturday morning, four required surgery for broken bones and other injuries. The fire, reported at approximately 1:18 p.m. on Friday at a plant owned by Anjun Industrial, took over 10 hours to contain, brought under control at 11:48 p.m. according to reports.

Nine of the dead were found in what is believed to have been a gym on the third floor. Three more were discovered near a water tank on the second floor. Over 500 firefighters, police, and emergency personnel responded, deploying 120 vehicles, aircraft, unmanned water cannons, and two firefighting robots.

The cause remains under investigation. Witnesses reported an explosion before the fire spread rapidly through the facility, which manufactured engine valves for suppliers to Hyundai Motor and Kia Corp. Authorities recovered more than 100 kilograms of highly reactive chemicals from the site, raising questions about storage practices and workplace safety oversight.

President Lee Jae Myung visited the scene on Saturday, meeting with victims’ families and calling for measures to prevent the damaged structure from collapsing during ongoing search operations. Anjun Industrial CEO Sohn Ju-hwan pledged full cooperation with investigators, according to the South China Morning Post.

Sources

• Officials say 14 were killed in fire at South Korean auto parts plant — ABC News
• At least 14 die in South Korea fire at car parts factory — South China Morning Post
• At least 14 people killed in fire at South Korean car parts factory — The Guardian