A massive fire at a wind turbine in Yeongdeok, Gyeongbuk Province, South Korea, which claimed the lives of three workers, has been fully extinguished after nearly four days of intense firefighting efforts.
Incident Timeline
The blaze erupted around 1:11 p.m. on March 23 in turbine No. 19 at the Yeongdeok Wind Farm in Changpo-ri, Yeongdeok-eup. Firefighters battled the flames for approximately 74 hours before declaring the fire out at around 3 p.m. on March 26.
Casualties and Damage
Three workers conducting maintenance and repair inspections perished in the incident. The fire caused two of the turbine’s three blades to detach and fall, while embers persisted on the remaining blade and the turbine’s main body until the final stages.
Next Steps for Investigation
With the fire now contained, police and fire officials plan to evaluate demolition procedures and conduct a thorough forensic analysis of the site to determine the cause and prevent future tragedies.
