(2nd LD) Fire at Ulsan fiber factory extinguished with no severe casualties

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with fire being extinguished; CHANGES headline)

ULSAN, Jan. 24 (Yonhap) -- Firefighters on Monday put out a blaze at a synthetic fiber factory in the southeastern city of Ulsan, 22 hours after it broke out, authorities said.

The fire began in the basement of a seven-story factory of Hyosung TNC Corp. at 6:55 p.m. Sunday, sending two factory workers to a hospital after they inhaled smoke.

By 4:50 p.m. Monday, the flames were completely extinguished, according to the Ulsan Fire Department.

Fire authorities plan to investigate the cause of the blaze and the extent of damage.

Firefighters had struggled to extinguish the fire amid strong winds and as the flames spread to the building's upper levels and to a nearby warehouse, which contained flammable materials.

The Ulsan Fire Department had mobilized around 660 firefighters, and 84 fire engines, trucks and helicopters to contain the blaze in cooperation with fire authorities of the neighboring city of Busan and the Gyeongsang Provinces.

nyway@yna.co.kr
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