22 killed in fire at South Korea’s ill-fated lithium battery plant

HWASEONG, South Korea, June 24 – A lithium battery factory in South Korea was bracing for a fire when some batteries exploded Monday, killing 22 workers, most of whom were Chinese nationals, fire officials said. Said.

A fire broke out and a series of explosions broke out at the factory of number one battery maker Erisel in Hwaseong, a commercial conurbation southwest of the capital Seoul.

Officials said the patients died from inhaling the highly toxic gas within seconds of the fire being brought under control. It was dense which caused explosions and the fire was largely extinguished in about six hours.

The dead included eighteen Chinese workers, two South Koreans and one Laotian.

The nationality of the second dead co-worker has not yet been confirmed, Kim Jin-young, an executive at Hwaseong fireplace carrier, told reporters, citing information from corporate officials.

Kim said the fire was first reported at 10:31 a.m. (0131 GMT), after several battery cells in the depot of 35,000 batteries exploded.

A Reuters journalist saw firefighters carrying six bodies out of the factory.

Kim said rescue workers were finding it difficult to find the dead due to the intensity of the fire.

Officials present at the spot said that primarily two burnt families are being treated.

Live TV pictures showed firefighters spraying broken metal and urban construction.

Parts of higher levels had collapsed, and huge sections of construction looked as if they had been blown onto the street through explosions.

Aerial images show large clouds of white smoke billowing from the building and explosions throughout the structure.

Cho Seol-ho, a fireplace lawmaker in Gyeonggi province, said many of the killed were foreign workers hired on temporary duty, who were likely unfamiliar with the building’s structure. He said the smoke and flames spread within 15 seconds and the patients probably died after taking one or two breaths.

highly flammable

Kim Jae-ho, schoolmaster of fire and situation prevention at Daejeon College, said the fire had spread too quickly for staff to attend.

“Battery materials like nickel are easily flammable,” he said. “Often, there is not enough time to respond compared to fires involving other materials.”

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol visited the crash site on Monday. Interior Minister Lee Sang-min called on the local government to take steps to prevent any hazardous chemicals from contaminating the status branch.

Founded in 2020, South Korea-based Erisail makes lithium number one batteries for sensor and radio verbal exchange gadgets. According to its latest regulatory filing and its LinkedIn profile, it has 48 employees.

There was no response when Aricel shouted at the workplaces.

According to Aricel’s regulatory filings, the company is not listed on South Korea’s stock exchange, but is owned by S-Attach. S-Attach Juvenile is registered in the KOSDAQ index and its stocks closed down 22.5%.

Highly toxic fabrics are used in battery manufacturing.

Chul-wan, landscaper at Seojeong College, said, “The fact that when it was only on the second floor so many casualties were caused by toxic substances, not by burning.”

South Korea is home to major makers of lithium-ion batteries that power electric cars (EVs) and Hyundai Motor, one of the world’s largest automakers, and its affiliate Kia (000270.KS) Open tab untouched , who are making one. Emphasis on transitioning internal combustion automobiles to EVs.

Two years ago, South Korea enacted a law punishing company executives with possible criminal penalties after dozens of workers in the country died each day from occupational injuries.