At least 16 dead in fire at South Korea lithium battery factory

SEOUL, South Korea — A fire at a lithium battery manufacturing plant near the South Korean capital on Monday left at least 16 people dead, seven injured and six missing, officials said.

Rescuers at the factory in the city of Hwaseong, just south of Seoul, recovered the bodies after searching the site, local fire official Kim Jin-young told a televised news briefing.

Kim said earlier that most of the missing people were foreign nationals, including Chinese.

He said cell phone signals of the missing people were traced to the second floor of the factory. Kim said a witness told authorities the fire started after the batteries exploded while workers were examining and packing them, but that the exact cause would be investigated.

Kim said those found dead likely failed to escape down the stairs to the ground. He said authorities would investigate whether the fire suppression systems were working.

Kim said a total of 102 people worked at the factory before the fire broke out.

President Yoon Suk Yeol earlier ordered authorities to mobilize all available personnel and equipment to find survivors, according to his office.