South Korea lithium battery factory fire kills several workers

A massive fire at a lithium battery factory in South Korea has killed several workers.

The blaze broke out on Monday morning at the Aricell plant in Hwaseong city, about 45km (28 miles) south of the capital Seoul.

Local television footage showed small explosions going off as firefighters sought to put out the fire.

South Korea is a leading producer of lithium batteries, which are used in many items from electric vehicles to laptops.

At least 16 people have died so far in the blaze, Reuters reported citing a fire official, though the final death toll may likely be higher. The Yonhap news agency said around 20 bodies had been found.

The Aricell factory housed an estimated 35,000 battery cells on its second floor, where the batteries were inspected and packaged, with more stored elsewhere.

The cause of the fire is not yet known. Officials said eyewitnesses heard a series of explosions on the second floor around the time the fire broke out.

About 100 workers were on the premises at the time.

Local fire official Kim Ji-young said it was difficult to enter the site initially “due to fears of additional explosions”. The consecutive explosions of battery cells led to the rapid spread of the fire, he added.

As a lithium fire can react intensely with water, firefighters had to use dry sand to extinguish the blaze, which took several hours to get under control.