TWO PEOPLE died and another four were injured after a nitrogen leak at an LG Display factory in South Korea.
The Korea Herald reports that the leak occurred at around 12:50 at the P8 factory, which manufactures LCD displays for large-screen TVs, in Paju, Seoul.
The workers from LG Display and a subcontractor were carrying out routine maintenance work on the ninth floor when the valve of a nitrogen gas cylinder opened.
It remains unclear how the valve was opened, but it was presumably by mistake.
Nitrogen makes up nearly 80 percent of the atmosphere, but can cause asphyxiation in the absence of oxygen.
One worker died on the scene, while another was pronounced dead on his way to hospital. Four others were wounded as a result of the incident, one of whom is reportedly in a serious but not life-threatening condition.
LG expressed its condolences, and that it will cooperate with the authorities to find out the cause of the leak.
A spokesperson for the company said in a statement: "We send our most heartfelt condolences and apologies to the deceased and will do everything in our power to help the injured recover as quickly as possible."
As The Korea Herald reports, this incident followed a similar nitrogen leak at the Shingori 3 nuclear reactor in Ulsan, some 410km south east of Seoul, which killed three workers late last month.
It also follows a similar incident at an Intel Fab 32 factory in 2013, which saw 11 workers rushed to hospital following a reported nitrogen leak.