Photo : YONHAP News
At least 16 people have been killed and seven others injured after a fire broke out at a lithium battery production plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.
According to fire authorities, 15 bodies were additionally recovered after a man in his sixties died from cardiac arrest earlier in the day. Officials fear the number of casualties could rise as many remain unaccounted for.
Flames broke out at the factory at around 10:30 a.m. and the main fire was extinguished around 3:10 p.m.
Officials said an estimated total of 102 people were working inside the factory at the time of the fire. Many were day laborers and foreigners.
The exact cause of the fire at the three-story concrete steel building is currently unknown, but an eye witness said there was an explosion from a battery cell. Over 35-thousand lithium battery products were said to have been stored in the factory.
The Hwaseong city government has sent out disaster alert texts to local residents, urging them to refrain from outdoor activities due to the possible release of toxic substances from the fire.
