In South Korea, a catastrophic factory fire that started after multiple lithium batteries burst has claimed the lives of at least 22 people.
The Aricell plant in Hwaseong city, roughly 45 kilometers (28 miles) south of Seoul, was the scene of the Monday morning fire.
Large clouds of smoke and little explosions could be seen in the local news footage as firefighters worked to put out the fire. A section of the roof had given way.
Leading manufacturer of lithium batteries, which are utilized in everything from computers to electric cars, is South Korea.
18 Chinese, one Laotian, and two South Korean employees had been identified as among the deceased, according to fire official Kim Jin-young. As of yet, the identity of the last body was unknown.
It would take some time to identify each body because the majority of them are severely burned,” Mr. Kim stated, as reported by the news agency.
Out of the 100 people who had been working when the fire started, eight more people suffered injuries, two of which were critical.
An estimated 35,000 battery cells were stored at the Aricell factory’s second level, where they were also inspected and packaged.
Mr. Kim stated that the fire started when several battery cells blew out, although it’s still unknown what caused the first explosions.
