At least nine people died on Monday and 15 others remained unaccounted for after a fire broke out at a lithium battery factory in Hwaseong, South Korea.
Emergency personnel transport the body of a victim at the scene of a fire at a lithium battery ... [+]
The fire broke out at battery manufacturer Aricell’s plant at around 10.30 a.m. local time on Monday.
Local fire officials told reporters nine bodies have been recovered from the factory, along with four injured workers—including two in critical condition.
At least 15 people remain unaccounted for and according to officials, most of them are foreigners, including Chinese nationals.
The final death toll is likely to rise further, as Korean news agency Yonhap reported 20 bodies have been recovered so far, citing firefighters at the location.
According to Yonhap, the fire burned for more than four hours before being brought under control at around 3.10 p.m. local time.
Local authorities said the fire began after some battery cells exploded at the factory’s warehouse where 35,000 units were stored—although the cause of the explosions remain unclear.
This is a developing story.