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Copyright © 2024 CGTN. 京ICP备20000184号
Disinformation report hotline: 010-85061466
Firefighters search the destroyed lithium battery factory in Hwaseong, South Korea, June 25, 2024. /CFP
South Korean police launched an investigation on Tuesday following the death of 23 people in a deadly lithium battery factory fire.
The fire broke out at a primary battery plant in Hwaseong, around 45 kilometers south of the capital Seoul, at 10:31 a.m. on Monday.
South Korean fire department officials said that around 17 Chinese nationals were killed in the fire, but the exact number still needs to be confirmed.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed deep condolences over the lives lost in the accident and sincere sympathies to the injured and the bereaved families.
"China has asked the South Korean side to find the cause of the accident as soon as possible, make every effort to save and treat the injured, make proper arrangements for people affected and assist the families of the deceased Chinese nationals. We will continue doing everything we can for the incident to be properly handled," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning at a press conference.
An injured man looks on outside the destroyed lithium battery factory in Hwaseong, South Korea, June 25, 2024. /CFP
Some 35,000 lithium batteries were estimated to be stored on the second floor of the three-story factory.
It is believed the victims sought to escape by the factory's stairs to the ground floor.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol visited the accident site on Monday, offering his condolences to the victims and the bereaved families, the presidential office said.
Yoon instructed the chief of the fire authorities to thoroughly determine the cause of the fire, and ordered government officials to produce comprehensive strategies to prevent fires, which are often started by chemicals and hard to put out with existing fire extinguishers or hydrants.