SEOUL: A major fire broke out at a South Korean lithium battery factory on Monday (Jun 24), authorities said, with one person confirmed dead and 21 others unaccounted for as the blaze continued to rage.
The lithium battery plant is owned by Aricell, a South Korean primary battery manufacturer. It is located in Hwaseong, just south of the capital Seoul.
“We are still unable to go inside and carry out rescue operation. We will carry it out once we get the fire under control,” firefighter Kim Jin-young told the media.
“Twenty-one workers are unaccounted for now. We are planning to track their whereabouts with their contacts provided from the company,” Kim added.
One person was killed, and another had sustained serious burns, he added.