Multiple Explosion Kills 22 Workers in South Korea Battery Plant

Multiple explosions set a lithium battery factory on fire in South Korea on Monday, killing 22 workers, most of them Chinese nationals, fire officials said.

The blaze ripped through a factory run by primary battery manufacturer Aricell in Hwaseong, an industrial cluster southwest of the capital Seoul. It was eventually largely extinguished.

Eighteen Chinese workers and one Laotian were among the dead. 

The nationality of the remaining deceased worker was not yet confirmed, as at the time of filing in the report,  fire official, Kim Jin-young told reporters, citing information from company officials.

The blaze began at 10:31 a.m. (0131 GMT) after a series of battery cells exploded inside a warehouse with some 35,000 units, Kim said, adding that what triggered the explosion was still unclear.
Due to the intensity of the blaze, rescuers were finding it difficult to identify the dead, Kim said.

Two people were being treated for major burns, officials at the scene said.

Live TV footage showed firefighters spraying the damaged steel and concrete building. Parts of the upper level had collapsed, and large chunks of the building looked like they had been blown out into the street by explosions.

Kim Jae-ho, Fire and Disaster Prevention professor at Daejeon University, said the fire had probably spread too quickly for workers to escape.

"Battery materials such as nickel are easily flammable.So often, there is not enough time to respond, compared to a fire caused by other materials."

President Yoon Suk Yeol visited the scene of the accident on Monday. 

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

Established in 2020, Aricell makes lithium primary batteries for sensors and radio communication devices. It has 48 employees, according to its latest regulatory filing and its Linkedin profile.