A fire caused by exploding lithium batteries at a factory in South Korea killed 22 workers and injured eight others on 24 June. The incident happened at a facility owned by battery manufacturer Aricell in the city of Hwaseong, around 28 miles (45km) southwest of the capital Seoul.
The incident was first reported at 10:31 local time after a number of battery cells exploded in a warehouse where around 35,000 batteries were being stored. A total of 22 workers, many of which were Chinese nationals, were confirmed to have died at the scene. Two other workers are being treated in hospital for severe burns while six others also received treatment at the scene. A total of 100 workers had been inside the facility when the fire broke out.
Television footage from the scene showed a chaotic scene with large clouds of dark smoke and small explosions occurring as firefighters attempted to douse the factory. Parts of the building were blown into the street and part of the roof had also collapsed during the incident.
The blaze was brought under control and extinguished after six hours. Emergency services began removing the bodies of the deceased workers, however the damage caused to the bodies by the heat of the fire meant the process of identifying them had been extremely difficult.
South Korea-based Aricell produces lithium batteries for products such as sensors and communication devices. Officials have not released details about how the initial explosion happened, although an investigation will begin as soon as the site is made safe, the local fire department said.
