The bodies of about 20 workers were found at a South Korean lithium battery factory after a massive fire, local media report, and firefighters said they were still searching the building.
Terrifying images show a huge plume of smoke and flames rising into the sky as the inferno ripped through the plant in Hwaseong, just south of the capital Seoul.
More than 100 people were working at the factory when workers heard a series of explosions from the second floor, where lithium-ion batteries are inspected and packaged, firefighter Kim Jin-young told media.
Some 78 people were confirmed safe, but many more remained missing. Yonhap said “about 20 bodies” were found at the site, after rescuers finally managed to get inside.
Kim told media they had managed to put out the largest fire at the factory and were carrying bodies out of the charred building. “A rescue team has come in and is carrying out search and rescue operations,” she said.
Firefighters work at the site of a burned lithium battery factory in Hwaseong, South Korea, Monday, June 24, 2024.
A firefighter searches for missing people inside the lithium battery factory
The building was completely destroyed by the huge fire, which firefighters struggled to put out.
The fire lasted for hours, it started around 10:30 in the morning and the firefighters were not able to control it until after 3:00 p.m., at which time they were finally able to enter the building to begin recovering the bodies.
Dozens of fire vehicles attended the scene. A fire department official said earlier: “Currently, the fire is so strong that rescuers and fire extinguishers cannot enter to extinguish the fire and conduct search and rescue operations.”
“Once the fire is extinguished, we will send rescue teams to search for people.”
The massive 2,300-square-meter factory had approximately 35,000 battery cells stored on the second floor at the time of the fire, with more batteries stored in other areas.
Lithium batteries burn quickly and hotly, and are difficult to control with conventional firefighting methods.
“Due to fear of more explosions, it was difficult to enter,” Kim said.
“As this is a lithium battery manufacturer, we determined that spraying water will not extinguish the fire, so we are currently using dry sand,” he added.
The lithium battery plant is owned by Aricell, a South Korean primary battery manufacturer.
Emergency personnel transport the body of a person killed in a deadly fire at a lithium battery factory
Firefighters recover the bodies of workers from the site after controlling the fire.
Lithium batteries are used in everything from laptops to electric vehicles, but they can be highly explosive; Airlines, for example, impose strict regulations on the control devices that contain them.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol issued emergency instructions to authorities, telling them to “mobilize all available personnel and equipment to focus on searching and rescuing people,” his office said.
The president also warned authorities that they should “ensure the safety of firefighters considering the rapid spread of the fire.”
Extinguishing and rescue efforts were ongoing and the cause of the fire was unknown.
Dozens of fire vehicles were at the scene of the fire. The cause of the fire is unknown
Firefighters try to put out a fire at a primary lithium battery factory in Hwaseong
Hwaseong authorities sent a series of alerts to residents warning them to stay indoors.
‘There is a lot of smoke due to factory fires. Please pay attention to safety, such as refraining from going out,” said an alert sent by text message.
‘Fire in a factory. Please detour to surrounding roads and nearby citizens close their windows,” said another.
South Korea is a major producer of batteries, including those used in electric vehicles. Its battery manufacturers supply electric vehicle manufacturers around the world, including Tesla.
South Korea is also one of the world’s largest producers of high-end semiconductors and the government has invested heavily in key technologies, including displays and batteries.
