A fire erupted at a lithium battery factory in South Korea on Monday. At least 20 people perished. Eighteen of the victims were Chinese nationals. One was from Laos, and one was from an unknown country.
Firefighter Kim Jin-young said the victims’ bodies were very charred and thorough identification would take time.
The company employed over a hundred people when, on the second level, where the inspection and packaging of lithium-ion batteries take place, the workers heard a succession of explosions.
Rescue crews were able to get access to the location. Seventy-eight individuals were still listed as missing.
Reporters were informed that firefighters had extinguished the factory’s most enormous fire and were removing bodies from the destroyed structure.
After the fire broke out, the media released images showing massive plumes of grey smoke rising into the sky above the plant. Inside the structure, flames blazed orange. The scene outside was a sea of fire trucks.
Kim added that the signals from the phones of individuals who went missing were traced to the upper level of the manufacturing. A witness informed police that the fire started when batteries detonated while workers were inspecting and packing them.
According to Kim, the deceased most likely did not manage to get down the steps to safety. He promised that the matter will be looked into to see if the fire suppression measures were effective.
South Korean media reported firemen putting out fires in the severely damaged steel and concrete structure. The footage revealed that portions of the top story had fallen, and huge pieces of concrete appeared to have been blasted out onto the street as if by an explosion.
President Yoon Suk Yeol had already instructed officials to use all available resources in their search for survivors.
Laptops, cameras, cell phones, and electric cars are just a few examples of the numerous common consumer goods that use lithium-ion batteries. This flammable chemical is already a concern, but problems with manufacturing, improper use, and old batteries may make it much worse.
