Friday 28 / June / 2024
Seoul: Twenty bodies were found following a fire at a lithium battery manufacturing plant in South Korea, officials and local media said on Monday.
The fire erupted at 10:30 a.m. (0130 GMT) at an Aricell factory in Hwaseong, south of the capital Seoul, following a series of battery cell explosions in a warehouse.
The fire broke out on a floor where lithium-ion batteries are inspected and packaged. Some 35,000 units were being stored in the building at the time.
"Due to fears of additional explosions, it was difficult to enter," Kim Jin-young, a local fire official, said. "As it is a lithium battery manufacturer, we determined that spraying water will not extinguish the fire, so we are currently using dry sand."
Kim said the blaze was under control, while rescue workers continued to pull bodies from the building. Of the injured, two were in critical condition, Kim said.
Broadcast images showed that part of the top level of the building had collapsed and that large chunks appeared to have been blown into the street.
In a televised briefing, the official said 23 people, including Chinese nationals, were reported missing. South Korean media said about 67 people were working at the factory before the fire occurred.
Hwaseong city authorities sent out a series of alerts to residents warning them to stay inside.
"Factory fire. Please detour to surrounding roads and nearby citizens please close windows," a text alert said.
Meanwhile, South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol issued emergency instructions to authorities to mobilize personnel for rescue efforts but also asked authorities to ensure the safety of firefighters "considering the rapid spread of fire."
