A significant incident occurred in Ulsan, South Korea, where a fire erupted aboard a South Korean Navy submarine undergoing essential maintenance, with one person reported missing, according to official authorities.
Fire officials confirmed the blaze began around 1:58 p.m. in the aft, or rear, section of the submarine Hong Beom-do (SS-079), which was securely docked at a specialized maintenance facility. A rapid response saw 57 firefighters and 31 pieces of equipment deployed, successfully bringing the fire under control by approximately 3:04 p.m.
While no South Korean Navy personnel suffered injuries in the incident, a civilian worker in her 60s, associated with a subcontractor, remains missing following the submarine fire.
Authorities are currently investigating the exact cause, but preliminary findings suggest the fire originated inside the submarine during ongoing maintenance operations.
The critical maintenance work on the vessel was being conducted by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, the prominent shipbuilding firm that originally constructed and launched the Hong Beom-do submarine in April 2016.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has stated that this incident is not expected to significantly impact its broader ongoing projects. Specifically, the Jangbogo-II submarine upgrade program, designed to enhance the combat systems and sensors of South Korea’s 214-class submarines, is still in its system design phase, anticipating minimal disruption.
The Hong Beom-do submarine was officially delivered to the South Korean Navy in 2018, entering active service that May after a comprehensive four-month crew training period.
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