South Korea lithium battery factory catches fire as huge blaze leaves at least 22 dead
A huge fire at a lithium battery factory in South Korea has broken out, leaving 22 dead
Reuters
A huge fire that broke out at a lithium battery factory in South Korea has left at least 22 dead.
The blaze, which has since been largely extinguished, broke out on Monday morning at the Aricell plant in Hwaseong city, about 45km south of the capital Seoul.
Several lithium cells inside the factory exploded inside a warehouse containing around 35,000 units, Kim Jin-young, a local fire official said.
Over 100 people were working in the factory when numerous batteries exploded on the second floor, where the cells are inspected and packaged.
A huge fire at a lithium battery factory in South Korea has broken out, leaving 22 deadReutersMost of the dead are foreigners, including 18 Chinese nationals, Yonhap news agency reported.
They added that the death toll is expected to rise.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered the Interior and Safety Ministry and the head of the fire department to "make all-out efforts" to rescue people by "mobilising all available personnel and equipment".
Kim said it was difficult to enter the factory initially "due to fears of additional explosions".
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Emergency personnel carry the body of a person killed in a deadly fire at a lithium battery factory
Reuters
He added: "A rescue team has gone inside and is carrying out search and rescue operations."
The fire official also said that the factory’s worker’s directory was burned, which is making identifying the victims particularly difficult.
Around 80 people have been confirmed safe but many more are still missing, with Yonhap reporting that "about 20 bodies (were) found" at the site.
The blaze began at around 10.30am local time and was only extinguished by fire crews just after 3.00pm.
Over 100 people were working in the factory when numerous batteries exploded on the second floor
Reuters
The collapsed roof of the factory in Hwaseong
Reuters
It was at this point, three hours later, that emergency teams were able to enter the building and recover the bodies.
South Korea is a huge producer of lithium batteries, which are used in many items ranging from electric vehicles to laptops.
Firefighters had to use dry sand to put out the blaze, as a lithium fire can react intensely with water.
When the cells overheat, they are at risk of exploding. The fire could potentially reignite without warning due to the chemical reaction.