One dead, mass casualties feared in battery factory fire in South Korea
By Aju PressPosted : June 24, 2024, 15:10Updated : June 24, 2024, 22:11
Smoke rises from a primary battery manufacturing plant hit by a fire in Hwaseong, south of Seoul, on June 24, 2024, in this image taken from a social media site. Aju Press
SEOUL, June 24 (AJU PRESS) - A fire broke out at a battery manufacturing plant in Hwaseong, south of Seoul, on Monday, leaving at least one worker dead and six others injured, authorities said.
Officials fear the casualty count may rise, as an estimated 23 people, including 20 foreign nationals and two Koreans, are believed to be trapped inside the facility.
The blaze started at 10:31 a.m. at a factory operated by Aricell in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. The cause of the fire remains unknown.
"We expect the number of casualties to increase, as many people remain unaccounted for," a fire department official told reporters at the scene.
Smoke rises from a primary battery manufacturing plant hit by a fire in Hwaseong, south of Seoul, on June 24, 2024, in this image taken from a social media site. Aju Press
Among the known casualties, one person was found in cardiac arrest and died later. Another was seriously wounded and transported to a nearby hospital, and five others sustained minor injuries, including smoke inhalation and ankle injuries.
A witness claimed explosive combustion occurred in a battery cell during the fire.
The three-story concrete building houses operations for manufacturing primary batteries using lithium.
The fire department mobilized 145 personnel and 50 pieces of equipment, including fire engines. Firefighting efforts have been complicated by the presence of hazardous chemicals such as lithium, officials said.
Smoke rises from a primary battery manufacturing plant hit by a fire in Hwaseong, south of Seoul, on June 24, 2024. Yonhap