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At least 16 dead and 6 missing after fire at lithium battery factory in South Korea

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Top line

At least 16 people died on Monday and six others remain missing when a fire broke out at a lithium battery factory in Hwaseong, South Korea.

Key data

The fire broke out on Monday at around 10:30 a.m. local time at the plant of battery manufacturer Aricell.

Local fire department officials told reporters that 16 bodies had been recovered from the factory, as well as four injured workers – two of them in critical condition.

At least six people remain missing. Authorities say most of them are foreigners, including Chinese nationals.

The final death toll is likely to rise further, as the Korean news agency Yonhap reported, citing firefighters on site, that 20 bodies have been recovered so far.

According to Yonhap, the fire burned for more than four hours before it was brought under control around 3:10 p.m. local time.

According to local authorities, the fire broke out after some battery cells exploded in a warehouse at the factory where 35,000 units were stored. However, the cause of the explosions is still unclear.

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tangent

Aricell is a lithium battery manufacturer whose products are used in measuring instruments, medical and military equipment, according to the company’s website. The company is majority-owned by South Korean metal processing company S-Connect, whose Korean-listed shares fell sharply after the fire broke out on Monday, closing down 22.5 percent.

Important background

Lithium batteries are used to power electric vehicles and almost all modern electronic devices, such as phones and laptops. Although these batteries are designed with safety features in mind, they can catch fire or explode when exposed to high temperatures, physical damage or overcharging. Fires caused by lithium batteries can burn in extreme temperatures and the use of water can make the fire even more intense. Korean firefighters who put out the blaze on Monday said they used “dry sand” instead of water. South Korea is one of the world’s top producers of lithium-ion batteries – although like most other countries, its production capacity is dwarfed by China’s.

Further information

Firefighters: Around 20 bodies found at fire scene in battery factory (Yonhap)

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