 "A fire at a South Korean battery factory killed 20 (Photo: AP)")
The death toll in a fire at a lithium battery factory in South Korea has risen to 20, according to the country’s Yonhap news agency.
The factory was located at Hwaseong, near the South Korena capital of Seoul. There were over 60 workers at the factory when the fire broke out.
Earlier, as many as 23 people were reported missing, including Chinese nationals. Their fate is not yet known.
The AFP reported that the factory is owned by South Korean company Aricell, which specialises in lithium batteries. South Korea is a major hub for making batteries, including those used in electric vehicles (EVs). Batteries made in South Korea are also supplied to US EV major Tesla.
Following the outbreak of the fire, South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol issued emergency instructions to authorities to “mobilise all available personnel and equipment to focus on searching for and rescuing people”, according to the agency.