South Korea Officials Begin Investigation Following Fatalities During Hyundai Car Test
SEOUL—South Korean authorities initiated an investigation on Tuesday following the deaths of three individuals during a car test at a Hyundai Motor plant in Ulsan, as per police reports to Reuters.
According to Hyundai’s labor union, two Hyundai researchers and one Hyundai contractor were discovered unconscious in a car around 3:00 p.m. while conducting a test in a “chamber.”
Reports from the media suggested that the three individuals had suffocated.
An officer from Ulsan mentioned that both the police and labor ministry were looking into the incident, including its cause.
A representative from the fire department informed Reuters that they were notified of the incident at 3:17 pm at Hyundai’s No.4 factory.
“Hyundai Motor Company expresses deep sorrow over the unfortunate event at our Ulsan plant in South Korea,” stated Hyundai in a released statement, vowing to work closely with relevant authorities to determine the cause of the incident.
The Ulsan plant is Hyundai’s largest manufacturing facility, equipped with its own port and an annual production capacity of 1.4 million vehicles, including exports of 1.1 million units.
In November of the previous year, Hyundai Motor began construction on a 2 trillion won ($1.44 billion) plant in Ulsan dedicated to the production of electric vehicles in South Korea, as part of their transition away from petrol-powered cars.
($1 = 1,391.8800 won)
By Hyonhee Shin and Hyunjoo Jin
