Fire at battery factory in South Korea leaves at least 16 dead, 5 missing | Economic news

Firefighters say a fire was caused by exploding battery cells inside a warehouse.

A fire at a lithium battery factory in South Korea has killed at least 16 people and left five others missing.

South Korean authorities said Monday they had recovered 16 bodies from the Hwaseong factory, 45 km south of Seoul, after confirming that at least nine workers had died in the fire and three others were injured.

The fire broke out around 10:30 a.m. (01:30 GMT) at the factory of South Korean battery maker Aricell, before being brought under control shortly after 3:00 p.m. (06:00 GMT), authorities said.

Firefighter Kim Jin-young told local media earlier in the day that more than 100 workers were working at the site at the time of the fire and that around 20 of them were missing.

Kim said the fire started when a number of battery cells exploded inside a warehouse.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's office said he had ordered authorities to mobilize all available personnel and equipment “to focus on searching and rescuing people.”

Authorities in Hwaseong issued a series of alerts advising the public to stay indoors and close windows due to smoke from the fire.

Lithium batteries, used in phones, laptops and electric vehicles, are known to explode or catch fire due to a phenomenon known as thermal stroke, which can occur when they overheat or are punctured .

South Korea is a leading exporter of lithium batteries and is home to leading industry players such as LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI and SK On.