HWASEONG — Highly poisonous hydrofluoric acid gas leaked at Samsung Electronics Co.’s main chip plant in this southern city on Thursday, injuring three workers, the company said.

The incident comes roughly three months after up to 10 liters of diluted hydrofluoric acid, a colorless acute poison that can damage the lungs and bones and even affect the nervous system, leaked at the same semiconductor plant in Hwaseong, 60 kilometers south of Seoul.

The world’s largest memory chipmaker said that a small amount of hydrofluoric acid leaked around 11:30 a.m. Thursday when the workers were changing pipes that contain the toxic gas.

The injured workers were being treated for minor injuries at a nearby hospital, Samsung Electronics said.

The Jan. 28 accident killed one worker and injured four others, raising safety concerns.

Since the incident, Samsung has been under intense fire for not only failing to report the incident to the authorities promptly but also for the alleged cover-up.

Print PDF