The death toll from a fire at a lithium battery plant near the South Korean capital has risen to 15, according to a new preliminary report from authorities.
Rescue teams initially removed eight bodies from the plant, but the death toll has risen in the past hour, with “seven injured” confirmed, according to Kim Jin-young, a fire department official, in a television news broadcast.
Rescue teams working at the plant in the city of Hwaseong, south of Seoul, recovered 15 bodies, saying “six more people were missing.”
Kim said most of the missing are foreign nationals, including workers from the People’s Republic of China.
According to the same person in charge, the signal from the cell phones of the missing people was located on the second floor of the factory.
Kim said a witness told authorities the fire started after the batteries exploded while workers were inspecting them before packaging, but stressed that “the exact cause will be determined.”
The same firefighter also stated that there were 102 people working at the plant before the fire.
About 35,000 flammable lithium batteries were stored on the second floor of the plant where the fire broke out.
“It was difficult to enter the building because we were afraid of more explosions,” Kim said, adding that firefighters were able to put out the flames with “dry sand.”
An industrial complex owned by South Korean battery manufacturer Aricell.
Lithium batteries are used in a variety of circumstances and media, from laptop computers to electric vehicles.
Footage broadcast by South Korea’s Yonhap news agency showed clouds of gray smoke rising from a factory building devastated by flames.
South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol asked local authorities to “mobilize all available personnel and equipment to focus on searching and rescuing people.”
Yoon Seok Yeol also asked authorities at the scene to “guarantee the safety of firefighters given the rapid spread of the fire.”
Meanwhile, residents of Hwaseong city were advised not to leave their homes due to thick smoke.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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