2 dead, 2 in critical condition after gas leak at zinc processing plant in Gyeongju

Two workers died and two others were left in critical condition after a suspected gas leak at an underground water tank in Gyeongju on Sunday. According to the police, the workers collapsed from what appeared to be carbon monoxide inhalation.

A zinc processing plant in the Duryu Industrial Complex in Angang-eup, Gyeongju, where two workers died and two others were left in critical condition after a suspected gas leak [GYEONGBUK FIRE SERVICE HEADQUARTERS]

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang ― Two workers died and two others were left in critical condition after a suspected gas leak at an underground water tank in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang on Sunday. Authorities said the accident occurred at around 11:31 a.m. at a zinc processing plant in the Duryu Industrial Complex in Angang-eup.

According to the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency, the workers were performing pump and pipe maintenance when they collapsed from what appeared to be carbon monoxide inhalation. A supervisor outside the tank found the workers unconscious about two meters below ground and called for help.

Emergency crews transported all four workers to a hospital, where two were pronounced dead and two remain in serious condition. Investigators detected carbon monoxide inside the tank, a colorless and odorless gas that can cause severe oxygen deprivation and death when inhaled at high concentrations.

The police believe one worker initially lost consciousness, prompting the others to enter the tank to rescue him before succumbing themselves. The Daegu branch of the Ministry of Employment and Labor has joined the police in investigating the exact cause of the accident.

Confined-space asphyxiation accidents remain a persistent problem in Korean workplaces. Including Sunday’s incident, there have been at least nine such cases this year, resulting in six deaths.

In August, three workers at a ready-mix concrete plant in Suncheon, South Jeolla died while cleaning a sealed tank filled with toxic gases such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. The following month, two workers in their 70s died in Seoul’s Geumcheon District after suffocating inside a water main manhole.

A zinc processing plant in the Duryu Industrial Complex in Angang-eup, Gyeongju, where two workers died and two others were left in critical condition after a suspected gas leak [GYEONGBUK FIRE SERVICE HEADQUARTERS]

Ambulance and firefighters arrive at at a ready-mix concrete plant in Suncheon, South Jeolla on Aug. 21. Three workers died while cleaning a sealed tank filled with toxic gases such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. [YONHAP]

According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, between 2015 and 2024, 298 workers suffered from confined-space gas exposure, and 126 of them — about 42 percent — died. The ministry noted that fatalities are especially frequent in summer, when high temperatures increase gas emissions inside manholes, sewage systems and livestock facilities.

A representative of the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute urged employers to “always measure oxygen, hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide levels before entering a confined space. If a worker collapses inside, never attempt a rescue without protective breathing equipment such as an air supply mask.”

They also emphasized the need for mandatory safety training on confined space entry, emergency evacuation and continuous monitoring by designated safety supervisors.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY KIM JUNG-SEOK [yim.seunghye@joongang.co.kr]