Eight people have been injured and at least 22 people have died in a fire at a lithium battery plant in South Korea.
Following their earlier confirmation that at least 16 workers had perished in the fire and that three more had been injured, South Korean authorities announced on Monday that they had recovered 22 bodies from the factory located in Hwaseong, 45 km (28 miles) south of Seoul.
“At least 22 people are killed in a lithium battery plant fire in South Korea.”
Among the dead were one Laotian and eighteen Chinese labourers. Citing information from company officials, fire official Kim Jin-young stated that the nationality of the remaining deceased worker was not yet confirmed.
About 10:30 a.m. (01:30 GMT), the South Korean battery manufacturer Aricell’s plant caught fire. It was put out shortly after 3 p.m. (06:00 GMT), according to authorities.
Earlier in the day, firefighter Kim Jin-young told local media that about two dozen workers were missing from the scene of the fire and that over 100 workers were thought to have been present at the time. According to Kim, several battery cells inside a warehouse exploded, setting off the fire. Yoon Suk-yeol, the president of South Korea, has directed authorities to mobilise all personnel and equipment “to focus on searching for and rescuing people,” according to his office.
Due to smoke from the fire, Hwaseong authorities issued a number of alerts advising the public to stay inside and close their windows. Thermal run, a phenomenon that can happen when lithium batteries overheat or are punctured, has been known to cause explosions or fires in devices such as electric cars, laptops, and phones. South Korea is a major exporter of lithium batteries and is home to major companies in the sector, including SK On, LG Energy Solution, and Samsung SDI.
[Al Jazeera]
