Warehouse fire in Icheon kills at least 36 workers

The fire occurred in Icheon, 80 kilometers southeast of Seoul, around 1:32 p.m., according to firefighters. The blaze was extinguished at around 6:42 p.m.

The number of casualties may increase as the whereabouts of the majority of 78 people believed to have been working at the time of fire are not confirmed.

Icheon is home to SK hynix Inc., the world's second-largest maker of DRAM chips, as well as a large number of warehouses and storage facilities for retailers.

Officials suspect that the fire was caused by an unexpected explosion during construction work involving urethane, a combustible chemical used for insulation work, and the installment of a freight elevator in the basement of the site.

«The fire seems to have spread extremely quickly, with the victims apparently having been unable to evacuate at all during the fire,» firefighters said.

President Moon Jae-in ordered government officials to spare no effort for the search and rescue operation by mobilizing all available resources, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok.