Seoul:

Twenty-two people were killed — including 18 Chinese nationals — in a massive fire at a South Korean lithium battery factory, the fire department said Monday, one of the country’s worst factory disasters in years.

Over 100 people were working in the factory when workers heard a series of explosions from the second floor, where lithium-ion batteries were being inspected and packaged, firefighter Kim Jin-young told media.

In the massive blaze that ensued, twenty-two people were killed, including 20 foreign nationals — 18 Chinese, one from Laos, and one of unknown nationality, he said.

At least 21 people have died in a fire at a lithium battery plant in South Korea. pic.twitter.com/kzQKnhbOYf

— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) June 24, 2024

“Most of the bodies are badly burned so it will take some time to identify each one,” he added.

Firefighters are still searching for one more person who remains unaccounted for, he said, adding that they had managed to contain the largest blaze at the plant and get inside.

Firefighters were “doing cooling operations to prevent the fire from expanding to nearby factories,” Kim said.

Dozens of fire trucks were lined up outside the factory, an AFP reporter saw, with rescue workers carrying bodies, covered by blue blankets, out of the building on stretchers.

Images shared by Yonhap after the fire broke out showed huge plumes of billowing grey smoke rising into the sky above the factory, with orange flames inside the building.

The vast factory had an estimated 35,000 battery cells on the second floor in storage, with more batteries stored in other areas.

Lithium batteries burn hot and fast, and are difficult to control with conventional fire extinguishing methods.

“Due to fears of additional explosions, it was difficult to enter,” Kim said, describing the tricky rescue operation.

“As it is a lithium battery manufacturer, we (had) determined that spraying water will not extinguish the fire, so we (used) dry sand,” he added.

The lithium battery plant is owned by Aricell, a South Korean primary battery manufacturer. It is located in Hwaseong city, just south of the capital Seoul.

Shares of Aricell’s parent company, S-connect, plunged by over 20 percent on the Seoul exchange by close Monday. S-connect owns 96 percent of Aricell.

Lithium batteries are used in everything from laptops to electric vehicles — but can be highly explosive, with airlines, for example, imposing strict regulations on checking devices containing them.

‘Mobilise all personnel’

South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol issued emergency instructions to authorities, telling them to “mobilise all available personnel and equipment to focus on searching for and rescuing people,” his office said.

The president also warned authorities that they should “ensure the safety of firefighters considering the rapid spread of fire”.

Authorities in Hwaseong sent out a series of alerts to residents warning them to stay inside.

“There is a lot of smoke due to factory fires. Please pay attention to safety, such as refraining from going out,” one alert sent by text message said.

“Factory fire. Please detour to surrounding roads and nearby citizens please close windows,” another one read.

South Korea is a major producer of batteries, including those used in electric vehicles.

Its battery makers supply EV makers around the world, including Tesla.

The fire is one of South Korea’s worst factory disasters in years.

Previously, it’s worst chemical plant accident was in 1989 at the Lucky Chemical factory in Yeosu, Southern Jeolla Province, which resulted in 16 deaths and 17 injuries.

A fire at a warehouse in Icheon in 2020 killed 38 people.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol has consistently taken a firm stance against nuclear-armed North Korea.
| Photo Credit: AP

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called on March 1 for the international community to back “unification efforts” after Pyongyang earlier this year declared Seoul its “principal enemy”.

Ties between the two Koreas have been in a deep freeze as Pyongyang accelerates its weapons development programmes and Seoul ramps up military cooperation with Washington and Tokyo.

Mr. Yoon, who has consistently taken a firm stance against nuclear-armed North Korea, has rarely discussed the topic of unification since assuming office in 2022.

“Our unification efforts must become a source of hope and a beacon of light for the people of North Korea,” he said at a ceremony marking the anniversary of Korea’s 1919 uprising against Japanese colonial rule.

“We must come together on a path that leads ultimately to unification” of the Korean peninsula, he said, stressing that the international community “must pool its strength in a responsible manner”.

Mr. Yoon emphasised better ties with Tokyo were helping to counter the North’s ever-increasing military threats.

“The security cooperation between the two countries against North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats has been strengthened further,” he said, adding that the countries were “working together to overcome the painful past”.

Last month, the North Korean leader’s powerful sister Kim Yo Jong said her country would be open to improving ties with Tokyo, even hinting at a possible future invitation to Pyongyang for Japan’s leader.

Her comments came after Kim Jong Un said in December that he would no longer seek reconciliation and reunification with the South, blaming Seoul and Washington for creating an “uncontrollable crisis”.

This year, North Korea conducted live-fire drills near the contested maritime border, prompting counter drills by the South and evacuation orders on two islands.

Pyongyang also declared South Korea its “principal enemy” and threatened war over “even 0.001 millimetres” of territorial infringement.

Mr. Yoon responded by telling his military to “act first, report later” if provoked by Pyongyang.

In the event of an attack, he said Seoul will hit back “multiple times stronger”.

The isolated North has shut agencies dedicated to promoting reunification and fostering communication with Seoul.

“The tyranny and human rights abuses of the North Korean regime deny the universal values of humanity,” Mr. Yoon said on Friday.

South Korea is gearing up for a crucial election on April 10, with Mr. Yoon’s conservative party hoping to regain a parliamentary majority for the first time since 2016.