Explosion at South Korea battery factory kills at least 22 people

At least 22 people have died in South Korea after a powerful explosion and fire at a lithium battery factory.

The fire tore through the Aricell plant in Hwaseong city, a major industrial cluster about 90 minutes southwest of the capital Seoul, on Monday morning.

Most of the dead are foreigners, including 18 Chinese nationals, Yonhap reported, adding that the death toll is expected to rise.

Eight others were injured and a search is continuing for several missing persons.

The fire ripped through the building after a series of battery cells exploded inside a warehouse, said Kim Jin-young, a local fire official.

It is not yet known what triggered the explosion, he added, saying the warehouse stored 35,000 units of battery cells.

Videos on social media showed a huge cloud of smoke rising from the factory on Monday afternoon, though the blaze has now largely been extinguished.

Live TV footage showed firefighters spraying the damaged steel and concrete building, where parts of the upper level had collapsed.

Large chunks of the building appeared to have been blown out into the street by an explosion.

Mr Kim said the high intensity of the fire has made it difficult to identify and rescue those inside the warehouse.

It was difficult to enter the site of the explosion initially “due to fears of additional explosions”.

The fire began at 10.31am (0131 GMT) and was controlled by 3pm in the afternoon.

The factory is a three-storey building spread across 2,300sqm.

One of the workers, who escaped from the second floor of the factory, told the Hwaseong Fire Station that explosive combustion occurred in one battery cell at the time of the fire, reported Yonhap.

President Yoon Suk-yeol’s office said he was monitoring the situation.

Interior minister Lee Sang-min called on the local authorities to take steps to prevent any hazardous chemicals from contaminating the surroundings.

South Korea is one of the global leaders in lithium battery production, with its industry being a crucial part of the country’s technology sector. The country has made efforts to improve its safety record after several past accidents, many of which have been blamed on negligence.