Pohang, South Korea – A significant fire broke out at the POSCO Pohang Steelworks early on Sunday morning, local authorities confirmed. Emergency services were immediately dispatched to the scene after receiving reports of a large fire around 4:20 AM.

According to the North Gyeongsang Fire Service, the blaze originated from the No. 3 FINEX plant tower located in Jejeoldong, Nam-gu, Pohang. The FINEX process is a unique steelmaking technology that bypasses the need for pre-treatment of raw materials, allowing for direct use of iron ore and coal to produce molten iron.

The fire caused a loud explosion and quickly spread, prompting authorities to raise the response level to 1 at 4:50 AM. Over 43 fire trucks and 120 firefighters were deployed to combat the blaze, with POSCO’s internal fire department also joining the efforts.

Eight workers were present at the plant during the incident. Seven of them were successfully evacuated, while one sustained first and second-degree burns to their hands and face.

Firefighters managed to bring the initial blaze under control by 6:37 AM and completely extinguish it by 9:20 AM.

A POSCO spokesperson stated, "The fire has been completely extinguished. We will conduct a thorough investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire and release the findings."

The incident has raised concerns about safety at industrial facilities and the potential impact on steel production. Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the fire.