A fire caused by shorted lithium batteries

24/06/2024 Soul, South Korea — A fire caused by shorted lithium batteries ripped through an Aricell manufacturing plant near the South Korean capital on Monday, killing 22 workers, mostly Chinese migrants, officials said. The fire broke out after workers were handling lithium batteries on the second floor of the factory in Hwasong city. Among the dead were 18 Chinese, two South Koreans and one Laotian. One factory worker remains missing and two of the 8 injured are in serious condition. Video footage of the incident showed the second floor of the factory engulfed in flames about 15 seconds after a small amount of white smoke began to escape from stored batteries. Workers on site used fire extinguishers, but they were ineffective against lithium battery fires. As the fire spread, people tried to escape but could not find an exit and inhaled toxic smoke and subsequently lost consciousness. Firefighters said a total of 102 people were working at the factory at the time of the fire.