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Translated by: Flutura Gashi-Mehmeti
- June 24, 2024 14:03
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At least 22 people have died in a massive fire in a factory in South Korea.
It is reported that the fire started after some lithium batteries exploded.
The fire broke out on Monday morning at the Aricell plant in the city of Hwaseong, about 45 km south of the capital Seoul, the BBC reports.
South Korea is one of the leading producers of lithium batteries, which are used in many items from electric vehicles to laptops.
Fire official Kim Jin-young said 18 Chinese workers, one Laotian and two South Korean workers were confirmed among the dead. A final body has yet to be identified, and it is feared that at least one other person may be missing.
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The moment when the fire broke out in the battery factory that left 23 dead
"Most of the bodies are badly burned, so it will take some time to identify each one," Kim said, according to the AFP news agency.
Three more people were injured, two seriously, out of 100 who were working when the fire broke out.
Aricell's factory housed about 35,000 battery parts on its second floor.
Kim added that the fire started when a series of battery parts exploded, although it remains unclear what caused the initial explosions.
He explained that it was initially difficult to enter the country "due to the fear of additional explosions".
Lithium batteries are at risk of exploding if damaged or overheated.
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Because lithium fire can react violently with water, firefighters had to use dry sand to extinguish the flames, and it took several hours to bring them under control.
However, there is a risk that after the fire is extinguished, it will rekindle without warning due to the chemical reaction.
