Fire On South Korean Navy Submarine Kills Worker During Maintenance At Hyundai Shipyard

A worker has been found dead after a fire broke out on a South Korean Navy submarine at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ shipyard in Ulsan, with rescue teams facing difficulty reaching the body due to the tight space inside the vessel.

The fire started at around 1:58 p.m. on April 9 on the Sohn Won-yil-class submarine Hong Beom-do, which was in the yard for maintenance.

There were 47 workers on board at the time, and 46 of them managed to evacuate safely after being ordered to leave.

One worker, a woman in her 60s employed by a subcontractor, was reported missing during the evacuation.

Fire authorities later located her at about 4:37 p.m., around two hours and 40 minutes after the fire began.

She was found collapsed in an underground section inside the submarine, below the living quarters, about one metre from the entrance. Officials said there were no signs of life.

The woman was carrying out cleaning work inside the submarine when the fire broke out.

Rescue teams said reaching her has been difficult. The area is extremely narrow, allowing only one person to pass through at a time.

It is also filled with wires, pipes and oxygen tanks, making it hard to bring in equipment. Smoke inside the submarine also forced crews to stop work for a short time during the operation.

More than 50 firefighters and around 30 pieces of equipment were sent to the scene. The fire was brought under control in about an hour and fully put out roughly 30 minutes later.

Authorities also worked to ventilate smoke from inside the submarine. Initial reports suggest the fire may have started in the battery room, where witnesses said sparks were seen.

Some electrical switches were found to have melted, and there were concerns about possible short circuits or further fires. The exact cause is still under investigation.

The Hong Beom-do is a 65-metre-long submarine with a displacement of about 1,800 tonnes. It was built by Hyundai Heavy Industries and entered service in 2018.

The vessel had returned to the shipyard last year for hull and equipment maintenance, which was scheduled to continue until October, including upgrades to its combat system.

Authorities are continuing efforts to recover the body and are investigating how the fire started.

References: koreajoongangdaily, koreaherald