HWASEONG, South Korea –
A powerful explosion set fire to a lithium battery factory in South Korea on Monday, killing at least 16 people. A search and rescue operation is underway for five others who are still missing, local fire officials said.
The fire, which has been largely extinguished, raged through a factory of battery maker Aricell in Hwaseong, a large industrial cluster about 90 minutes southwest of the capital Seoul.
The fire started after a series of battery cells exploded in a warehouse containing about 35,000 units, said Kim Jin-young, a local fire official. What caused the explosion remains unclear, he added.
