Gwangju: Firefighters on Monday continued their efforts to completely extinguish a fire at Kumho Tire's plant in Gwangju. Officials reported that approximately 90 to 95 percent of the fire has been contained.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the fire initially broke out on Saturday morning at the factory located about 270 kilometers south of Seoul. Firefighters managed to contain the main fire by the following day, nearly 32 hours after it started. Despite their efforts, remaining fires persisted, prompting the resumption of firefighting operations around 7 a.m. on Monday.
Authorities are optimistic that the fire will be entirely extinguished later in the day. They plan to deploy heavy equipment to clear debris and douse the remaining flames. The incident has resulted in significant damage, with an estimated 50-60 percent of the western plant at Kumho Tire's Gwangju factory destroyed.
Initial reports suggest that the fire was triggered by sparks during a tire manufacturing process. Authorities have announced plans to conduct a thorough investigation into the exact cause of the fire once it is fully extinguished.