HWASEONG, SOUTH KOREA – A catastrophic fire erupted at a lithium battery manufacturing plant near Seoul on Monday, claiming the lives of at least 16 individuals, injuring seven, and leaving six others missing, according to officials.
The inferno at the Hwaseong city factory, situated just south of the South Korean capital, saw emergency responders laboring through the night to recover bodies from the smoldering debris. The fire ignited while 102 employees were present, turning the facility into a scene of horror and confusion.
Fire officials have tracked the mobile phone signals of the missing to the factory’s second floor. Witnesses reported that the fire might have been triggered by an explosion of batteries during inspection and packaging, but the precise cause is still under investigation.
Kim Jin-young, a local fire official, stated in a televised briefing that many of the missing are foreign nationals, including Chinese workers. Kim also indicated that those who died likely couldn’t escape via the stairwell, raising concerns about the factory’s fire safety measures.
President Yoon Suk Yeol has ordered a full-scale mobilization of resources to search for survivors. His office stressed the critical nature of the rescue operations, underscoring the government’s commitment to addressing the crisis.
As investigations proceed, authorities are not only seeking to uncover the cause of the fire but are also scrutinizing the safety protocols of the factory. This incident has cast a spotlight on the hazards inherent in lithium battery production, sparking a wider dialogue on industrial safety regulations.