Fire breaks out at lithium battery factory in South Korea Dozens died

A fire broke out at a lithium battery factory in the South Korean city of Hwaseong on June 24.

Firefighters involved at the scene said that about 20 bodies were found as a result of the blaze at the plant, Caliber.Az reports, citing South Korean media.

The blaze also left one worker dead and three others injured. The deceased are believed to be among 23 people unaccounted for in the fire, they said, amid fears the death toll could rise further.

Of the 23 people missing in the fire, 20 are believed to be foreigners, including Chinese nationals, they said, adding the number is subject to change as the daily list of full and part-time workers was destroyed

The blaze started at lithium battery maker Aricell's plant in Hwaseong, 45 kilometres south of Seoul, at around 10:30 a.m., they said, noting the main fire was under control as of 3 p.m.

Earlier, TV footage showed small explosions kept going off with showers of sparks in the burning plant.

Firefighters brought the blaze under control around 3:10 p.m., more than four hours after it started, and made their way into the plant and found the bodies.

Earlier in the day, the other deceased worker died after being taken to a hospital following cardiac arrest, while another was seriously injured and two sustained minor injuries, they said.

The fire reportedly occurred for unknown reasons at the three-story, reinforced concrete building with a total floor space of about 2,300 square metres.

The government convened an emergency meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters in the afternoon to discuss measures to minimize casualties from the disaster.