Interior minister orders all-out response to Ulsan factory fire

South Korea's interior minister on Wednesday ordered an all-out effort to extinguish a fire that broke out at a chemical factory in Ulsan.

Yun Ho-jung issued the emergency instructions after the fire started at about 9:41 a.m. at the plant in Onsan-eup, Ulju County, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. The National Fire Agency declared a first-stage response at 10:04 a.m. and issued a national fire mobilization order at 10:17 a.m., drawing firefighting units from Busan, Daegu and other nearby regions over fears of rapid spread, the ministry said.

Yun directed the National Fire Agency to commit every available firefighter and piece of equipment to the effort and to check thoroughly that no one still inside the industrial complex had been left behind. He also ordered local governments to work closely with police and fire authorities to seal off the area around the site and to ensure the safety of workers and residents.

"Because the factories are densely packed within the industrial complex and there is a large amount of combustible material, there is a strong risk of the fire spreading quickly," Yun said. "We must take every precaution to prevent it from spreading to neighboring plants, including building firebreaks."

Emergency officials, he added, were told to watch closely for hazards including the intense flames and the possibility that structures could collapse.