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Photo courtesy of Yonhap News |
[Alpha Biz= Ellie Kim] SEOUL, June 2 — A fire broke out at a semiconductor facility operated by SK hynix in Cheongju on June 1, sending 11 workers to hospital and prompting the evacuation of around 3,600 employees.
According to fire authorities and the company, the incident occurred at around 10:32 a.m. in a gas room connecting the M15 and M15X plants. The fire was quickly extinguished within about 10 minutes after automatic suppression systems, including sprinklers, were activated.
The injured workers were exposed to fluorine gas leaked from a pipeline cabinet. Five reported eye irritation and received treatment, while others were transported for precautionary checks.
The company said all evacuated employees returned to work about 90 minutes later after safety was confirmed. Fluorine levels were reduced to within regulatory limits, and no disruption to production was reported.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire, which is believed to have occurred during a test run of gas supply facilities.
Alphabiz Ellie Kim 인턴기자(press@alphabiz.co.kr)
