South Korea authorities launch probe after three die in Hyundai car test
The Logo of Hyundai Motor India Limited is seen outside a car showroom, in Ahmedabad, India, on Oct 7, 2024. (Photo: REUTERS/Amit Dave)
SEOUL: South Korean authorities launched an investigation on Tuesday (Nov 19) after three people died during a car test at a Hyundai Motor plant in the city of Ulsan, police told Reuters.
The two Hyundai researchers and one Hyundai contractor were found unconscious in a car at around 3pm while they were testing it in a "chamber," according to Hyundai's labour union.
Media reports said the three had suffocated.
A police officer in Ulsan said the police and the labour ministry were investigating the incident, including its cause.
A fire department official told Reuters that it first received a report at 3.17pm that the accident happened at Hyundai's No.4 factory.
"Hyundai Motor Company is deeply saddened by the incident that occurred at our plant in Ulsan, South Korea," Hyundai said in a statement, saying it would "cooperate fully with all relevant authorities to determine the cause of this incident."
The Ulsan plant is Hyundai's biggest manufacturing facility, with its own port and an annual production capacity of 1.4 million vehicles, including exports of 1.1 million units.
In November last year, Hyundai Motor broke ground on a 2 trillion won (US$1.44 billion) plant in Ulsan dedicated to making electric vehicles in South Korea, as the automaker accelerated a shift away from petrol-powered cars.
