Three Hyundai Motor Ulsan Plant Killed... "Asphyxiation During Vehicle Test"

[Anchor]
A suffocation accident occurred while testing the vehicle at Hyundai Motor's Ulsan plant.Three researchers, one in their 40s, one in their 30s, and one in their 20s, were killed in the

accident.

I'm reporter Oh Tae-in.

[Reporter]
Three researchers who were testing vehicle performance at Hyundai Motor Ulsan in Buk-gu, Ulsan, died.

The first time it was reported to the police was around 3:20 p.m.

At 12:50 p.m., the police did not see three people working in an enclosed space, so when they checked about two hours later, they secured a factory official's statement that they were suffocated.

The place where the dead researchers experimented is the Complex Environment Chamber.

It is a place where vehicle performance and durability tests are conducted by creating various environmental conditions such as cold and heat in an enclosed space where one vehicle enters.

Police presumed that the accident occurred because exhaust emissions were not discharged to the outside while conducting vehicle driving tests in this space.

[Police official: We also test driving and raise the temperature in it to conduct various tests regardless of the vehicle's electronic devices.]

Shortly after the discovery, the researchers were taken to a hospital, but they eventually died.

Among the researchers who died, one in his 40s and one in his 30s are known to belong to Hyundai Motor and one in his 20s is known to belong to a partner company.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor dispatched a labor inspector to the site to check the details of the accident and stop related work.

Hyundai Motor's Ulsan plant is subject to the Serious Accident Punishment Act with more than 10 full-time workers.

Police are also investigating the accident with the Ministry of Labor, including why exhaust emissions were not released.

Hyundai Motor said it will do its best to deal with the accident with consolation to the bereaved family.

He also added that he will actively work on identifying the cause of the accident and taking measures.

I'm Oh Tae-in of YTN.