Posco fire extinguished, Hyundai Steel fire continues to blaze on after typhoon

A massive fire broke out at Hyundai Steel's factory in Incheon on Tuesday morning. [NEWS1]

Multiple fires were reported at the facilities of the two largest steelmakers in Korea on Tuesday, just as the country was getting battered by Typhoon Hinnamnor early that morning.

The companies, Posco and Hyundai Steel, are currently investigating the cause of the blaze and whether they are related to damage from the typhoon.

Two fires broke out at Posco's steel mill in Pohang, North Gyeongsang, at 7:17 a.m., one each in a hot rolling facility and stainless steel facility. Local residents and employees reported seeing black smoke and hearing loud noises from the plant, where a series of fires appeared to simultaneously break out in different parts of the complex, according to Pohang Nam-bu Fire Station.

The blaze was completely extinguished in three hours, causing no causalities.

By the time Hinnamnor arrived in mainland Korea, it had wind speeds of 40 meters per second (89 miles per hour) and a central pressure of 955 hectopascals, making it a “strong” typhoon — the third-highest of the Korea Meteorological Administration’s four typhoon categories.

But Posco said the flames and smoke shown in the photos were not due to the fires, but the emissions of by-product gases.

"In the process of the burning of coke oven gas, the by-product gases were released outside as the fan was automatically turned off due to the typhoon," Posco said in a statement.

Posco Group Chairman Choi Jeong-woo and Posco CEO Kim Hag-dong visited Pohang Tuesday to check the safety of employees and encourage quick restoration.

Earlier the same morning, another fire broke out at a Hyundai Steel facility in Incheon.

The fire was reported at 6:33 a.m. at an energy storage system used to charge batteries overnight, according to Incheon Fire Department.

The system is located at Hyundai’s steel mill in Incheon that is operated by Hyosung Heavy Industries.

The fire was not yet fully extinguished by Tuesday press time.

A firefighter in his 20s burned his left hand and shoulder while extinguishing the fire and was immediately sent to a nearby hospital.

No additional causalities or injuries were reported.

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]