Death toll in battery factory fire rises to 23 as another body found

Firefighters set out to extinguish a fire at a battery factory located in Hwaseong south of Seoul on June 24 Yonhap Photo — Firefighters try to extinguish a fire at a battery factory n Hwaseong, south of Seoul on June 24, 2024. Yonhap

SEOUL, June 25 (AJU PRESS) - One more body was found on Tuesday after a fire at a lithium battery factory in Hwaseong, south of Seoul the previous day. The retrieved body, believed to be a worker who had remained missing, raises the death toll to 23 from the massive fire that erupted at battery maker Aricell's three-story building in Gyeonggi Province at around 10:30 a.m. on Monday.

The cause of the fire remains unknown, but witnesses said that battery cells exploded on the second floor. Firefighters said the deadly fire engulfed the factory and was extinguished 22 hours after it started. According to police, among the 23 victims identified so far, five were Korean nationals, 18 foreign workers -- 17 from China and one from Laos -- were among the victims.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed condolences and vowed to provide full support to the bereaved families of the victims.

"We extend our condolences to those who lost their lives in this tragic incident and offer our heartfelt sympathy to their families," a foreign ministry spokesperson said during a press briefing. The spokesperson added that the ministry will closely cooperate with the relevant embassies in Korea and provide full support to the families of the foreign workers who died in the fire.

The ministry said it will come up with detailed assistance measures as soon as the victims are identified.

Park Sae-jin swatchsjp@ajunews.com

Death toll in battery factory fire rises to 23 as another body found

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