At least 22 dead in battery factory fire in South Korea

SEOUL (AP) — A fire likely caused by the explosion of lithium batteries at a factory near the South Korean capital killed 22 people, mostly Chinese workers, and injured eight, authorities said.

The fire started after batteries exploded as workers were checking and packing them at the factory’s second floor in the city of Hwaseong, just south of Seoul, around 10:30 a.m., fire officials said. , who summoned a witness. The cause of the accident would be investigated, they added.

Among the dead were 18 Chinese, two South Koreans and a Laotian, local fire official Kim Jin-young said at a televised news conference. The nationality of one of the deceased had not been verified at the moment.

In recent decades, many people from China, including some ethnic Koreans, have immigrated to South Korea in search of employment. Like other foreign migrants from Southeast Asian nations, they often end up in factories or physically demanding or low-paying jobs that more affluent South Koreans reject.

Kim said a factory worker had yet to be located and rescuers were continuing to search the site. Two of the eight injured were seriously injured, he said. The fire started in one of the buildings owned by a company called Aricell. Kim said the dead probably had not managed to escape down the stairs leading to the ground. Authorities will investigate whether there were fire extinguishing systems at the facility and whether they worked, he added.

A total of 102 people were working at the factory when the fire started, Kim said. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who is the number two in the government, and Minister of the Interior and Security, Lee Sang-min, visited the site later on Monday. Han asked authorities to provide government assistance for funeral services and relief programs for victims’ families, according to Han’s office.