1 dead, 21 'unaccounted for' in South Korea battery plant fire

SEOUL: A major fire broke out at a South Korean lithium battery factory on Monday (Jun 24), authorities said, with one person confirmed dead and 21 others unaccounted for as the blaze continued to rage.

The lithium battery plant is owned by Aricell, a South Korean primary battery manufacturer. It is located in Hwaseong, just south of the capital Seoul.

«We are still unable to go inside and carry out rescue operation. We will carry it out once we get the fire under control,» firefighter Kim Jin-young told the media.

«Twenty-one workers are unaccounted for now. We are planning to track their whereabouts with their contacts provided from the company,» Kim added.

One person was killed, and another had sustained serious burns, he added.

Images shared by the Yonhap news agency showed huge plumes of billowing grey smoke rising into the sky above the factory, with orange flames inside the building. Dozens of fire engines were seen outside.

South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol issued emergency instructions to authorities, telling them to «mobilise all available personnel and equipment to focus on searching for and rescuing people», his office said.

The president also warned authorities that they should «ensure the safety of firefighters considering the rapid spread of fire».

Firefighting and rescue efforts were ongoing, and the cause of the fire was unknown.

South Korea is a major producer of batteries, including those used in electric vehicles.

Its battery makers supply EV makers around the world, including Tesla.