18 Chinese killed in battery factory fire in South Korea

The fire destroyed a factory run by battery maker Aricell in Hwaseong, a large industrial cluster about 90 minutes southwest of the capital Seoul.

The dead included 18 Chinese workers and one Laotian, according to authorities. Local fire official Kim Jin Young told reporters that the nationalities of the remaining dead workers had not yet been confirmed.

Mr. Kim said one factory worker was still unreachable and rescuers were continuing to search the scene. Two of the eight injured were in serious condition.

Over the past few decades, many people from China have gone to South Korea in search of work. Like other foreign migrants from Southeast Asian countries, they often work in factories or do physically demanding, low-paying jobs that are often shunned by natives.

A fire broke out at a battery factory in Hwaseong, South Korea. Photo: dpa

The fire started at around 10:30 a.m. local time after a battery exploded inside a warehouse containing about 35,000 batteries, Mr. Kim said. He added that it was not yet clear what caused the batteries to explode.

A witness saw firefighters remove six bodies from the plant. The intensity of the fire made it difficult for rescuers to identify the dead, Kim said. Officials at the scene said two people were being treated for severe burns.

Live video showed firefighters spraying water on the damaged concrete and steel building. Parts of the upper floors had collapsed, with large chunks of the building appearing to have been blown out into the street after the blast. Aerial footage showed huge plumes of smoke billowing from the structure.

Kim Jae Ho, a professor of fire and disaster prevention at Daejeon University, said the fire may have spread too quickly for the workers to escape. "Battery materials such as nickel are highly flammable. Usually, there is not enough time to respond compared to fires caused by other materials," he said.

President Yoon Suk Yeol is monitoring the situation, his office said, while Interior Minister Lee Sang Min called on local authorities to take steps to prevent any toxic chemicals from contaminating the surrounding environment.

Founded in 2020, Aricell manufactures lithium batteries primarily for sensors and radio communications equipment. Aricell has 48 employees, according to the company's latest filing.

Ngoc Anh (according to AP, Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/18-nguoi-trung-quoc-thiet-mang-trong-vu-chay-nha-may-pin-o-han-quoc-post300638.html