By Xinhua
Seoul : At least 27 people were killed and 13 remained missing after a massive explosion at a cold storage house in South Korea Monday.
The accident occurred in Icheon, 80 km southeast of Seoul, around 10 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) in the basement of a two-story warehouse and caused fire, police said.
Local media said 57 people were working at the warehouse when the explosion occurred.
The rescue workers have confirmed 27 dead and 13 missing in the accident. Seven people escaped safely while 10 wounded have been sent to hospitals after being rescued.
The local police refused to comment about the cause of the tragedy. An official from the Icheon fire station said that inflammable gases from the basement’s engine room were believed to have caught fire, setting off three consecutive explosions at 10-second intervals.
The toll is expected to rise as more deaths are confirmed, local police said.