SEOUL: A hearth probably sparked by exploding lithium batteries swept via a manufacturing manufacturing unit close to South Korea‘s capital on Monday, killing 22 largely Chinese language migrant employees and injuring eight, officers mentioned.
The hearth started after batteries exploded whereas employees had been inspecting and packaging them on the second ground of the manufacturing unit in Hwaseong metropolis, simply south of Seoul, at round 10.30am, hearth officers mentioned, citing a witness.
The useless included 18 Chinese language, two South Koreans and one Laotian, native hearth official Kim Jin-young mentioned. He mentioned the nationality of one of many useless was to be verified.
Previously few many years, many individuals from China have migrated to South Korea to hunt jobs. They typically find yourself in factories or in bodily demanding and low-paying jobs shunned by extra prosperous South Koreans.
Kim mentioned a employee remained out of contact and rescuers had been looking the positioning. He mentioned two of the eight injured had been in critical situation.
The hearth began at one of many manufacturing unit buildings owned by a battery producer, Aricell. Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are ubiquitous in shopper items from laptops to cellphones. They’ll overheat if broken, faulty or packaged improperly, resulting in fires and explosions and making them a hazard for cargo on plane.
Senior hearth official Jo Seon-ho, citing video footage, mentioned employees mobilised hearth extinguishers however didn’t put out the blaze. They later rushed to an space the place there was no exit earlier than they probably inhaled poisonous smoke and misplaced their consciousness, he mentioned.
Prez Yoon Suk Yeol, sporting a security helmet and a masks, visited the positioning. He expressed condolences to the useless folks and ordered officers to place in place measures to successfully cope with battery-related fires. Monday’s blaze is without doubt one of the deadliest in South Korea in recent times.
The hearth started after batteries exploded whereas employees had been inspecting and packaging them on the second ground of the manufacturing unit in Hwaseong metropolis, simply south of Seoul, at round 10.30am, hearth officers mentioned, citing a witness.
The useless included 18 Chinese language, two South Koreans and one Laotian, native hearth official Kim Jin-young mentioned. He mentioned the nationality of one of many useless was to be verified.
Previously few many years, many individuals from China have migrated to South Korea to hunt jobs. They typically find yourself in factories or in bodily demanding and low-paying jobs shunned by extra prosperous South Koreans.
Kim mentioned a employee remained out of contact and rescuers had been looking the positioning. He mentioned two of the eight injured had been in critical situation.
The hearth began at one of many manufacturing unit buildings owned by a battery producer, Aricell. Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are ubiquitous in shopper items from laptops to cellphones. They’ll overheat if broken, faulty or packaged improperly, resulting in fires and explosions and making them a hazard for cargo on plane.
Senior hearth official Jo Seon-ho, citing video footage, mentioned employees mobilised hearth extinguishers however didn’t put out the blaze. They later rushed to an space the place there was no exit earlier than they probably inhaled poisonous smoke and misplaced their consciousness, he mentioned.
Prez Yoon Suk Yeol, sporting a security helmet and a masks, visited the positioning. He expressed condolences to the useless folks and ordered officers to place in place measures to successfully cope with battery-related fires. Monday’s blaze is without doubt one of the deadliest in South Korea in recent times.