Hwaseong
\nTwenty-two people were killed \u2014 including 18 Chinese nationals \u2014 in a massive fire at a South Korean lithium battery factory, the fire department said Monday, one of the country\u2019s worst factory disasters in years.
\nOver 100 people were working in the factory when workers heard a series of explosions from the second floor, where lithium-ion batteries were being inspected and packaged, firefighter Kim Jin-young told media.
\nIn the massive blaze that ensued, twenty-two people were killed, including 20 foreign nationals \u2014 18 Chinese, one from Laos, and one of unknown nationality, he said.
\n\u201cMost of the bodies are badly burned so it will take some time to identify each one,\u201d he added.
\nFirefighters are still searching for one more person who remains unaccounted for, he said, adding that they had managed to contain the largest blaze at the plant and get inside.
\nFirefighters were \u201cdoing cooling operations to prevent the fire from expanding to nearby factories,\u201d Kim said.
\nDozens of fire trucks were lined up outside the factory, an AFP reporter saw, with rescue workers carrying bodies, covered by blue blankets, out of the building on stretchers.
\nImages shared by Yonhap after the fire broke out showed huge plumes of billowing grey smoke rising into the sky above the factory, with orange flames inside the building.
\nThe vast factory had an estimated 35,000 battery cells on the second floor in storage, with more batteries stored in other areas.
\nLithium batteries burn hot and fast, and are difficult to control with conventional fire extinguishing methods.
\n\u201cDue to fears of additional explosions, it was difficult to enter,\u201d Kim said, describing the tricky rescue operation.
\n\u201cAs it is a lithium battery manufacturer, we (had) determined that spraying water will not extinguish the fire, so we (used) dry sand,\u201d he added.
\nThe lithium battery plant is owned by Aricell, a South Korean primary battery manufacturer. It is located in Hwaseong city, just south of the capital Seoul.
\nShares of Aricell\u2019s parent company, S-connect, plunged by over 20 percent on the Seoul exchange by close on Monday. S-connect owns 96 percent of Aricell.
\nLithium batteries are used in everything from laptops to electric vehicles \u2014 but can be highly explosive, with airlines, for example, imposing strict regulations on checking devices containing them.
\n\u2018Mobilise all personnel\u2019
\nSouth Korea\u2019s President Yoon Suk Yeol issued emergency instructions to authorities, telling them to \u201cmobilise all available personnel and equipment to focus on searching for and rescuing people,\u201d his office said.
\nThe president also warned authorities that they should \u201censure the safety of firefighters considering the rapid spread of fire\u201d.
\nAuthorities in Hwaseong sent out a series of alerts to residents warning them to stay inside.
\n\u201cThere is a lot of smoke due to factory fires. Please pay attention to safety, such as refraining from going out,\u201d one alert sent by text message said.
\n\u201cFactory fire. Please detour to surrounding roads and nearby citizens please close windows,\u201d another one read.
\nSouth Korea is a major producer of batteries, including those used in electric vehicles.
\nIts battery makers supply EV makers around the world, including Tesla.
\nThe fire is one of South Korea\u2019s worst factory disasters in years.
\nPreviously, it\u2019s worst chemical plant accident was in 1989 at the Lucky Chemical factory in Yeosu, Southern Jeolla Province, which resulted in 16 deaths and 17 injuries.
\nA fire at a warehouse in Icheon in 2020 killed 38 people.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hwaseong Twenty-two people were killed \u2014 including 18 Chinese nationals \u2014 in a massive fire at a South Korean lithium battery factory, the fire department said Monday, one of the country\u2019s worst factory disasters in years. Over 100 people were working in the factory when workers heard a series of explosions from the second floor, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":414387,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-414353","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-world"],"yoast_head":"\n