SEOUL (AP) — A fire likely caused by an explosion of lithium batteries at a factory near the South Korean capital killed 22 people Monday, mostly Chinese workers, and injured eight, authorities said.
The fire broke out following batteries exploded as workers were checking and packing them at the second floor of the factory in the city of Hwaseong, just south of Seoul, at around 10:30 a.m., fire officials said, citing a witness. The cause of the blaze was under investigation, they added.
The dead included 18 Chinese, two South Koreans and one Laotian, local fire official Kim Jin-young said in a televised news conference.
The nationality of one of the deceased has not yet been verified.
In recent decades, many people from China, including some ethnic Koreans, have migrated to South Korea in search of work. Like other foreign migrants from Southeast Asian nations, they often end up in factories or physically demanding or poorly paid jobs that more well-off South Koreans shun.
Kim said one factory worker had not yet been located and rescuers were continuing to search the site. Two of the eight injured were in serious condition, he said.
The fire started in one of the buildings owned by a company called Aricell. Kim said the dead probably did not escape via stairs leading to the ground. Authorities will investigate whether there were fire-extinguishing systems in the building and whether they worked properly, he added.
A total of 102 people were working at the factory when the fire broke out, Kim said.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who is the government’s No. 2, and Minister for the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min visited the site later on Monday. Han asked authorities to provide government assistance for funeral services and aid programs for victims’ families, according to Han’s office.
#workers #killed #lithium #factory #Seoul
2024-07-04 05:09:11
