South Korea Battery Plant Fire Kills 22 People, Most of Them Chinese, Officials Say

South Korea Battery Plant Fire Kills 22 People, Most of Them Chinese, Officials Say
Emergency personnel carry the body of a person killed in a deadly fire at a lithium battery factory owned by South Korean battery maker Aricell, in Hwaseong, South Korea, on June 24, 2024. Kim Hong-ji/Reuters
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HWASEONG, South Korea—A powerful explosion set on fire a lithium battery factory in South Korea on Monday, killing 22 workers, most of them Chinese nationals, local fire officials said.

The fire, which has largely been extinguished, ripped through a factory run by battery manufacturer Aricell in Hwaseong, a major industrial cluster about 90 minutes southwest of the capital Seoul.