Seoul, 24 June (HS): At least 22 people died in a fire in a battery manufacturing unit in South Korea. Search for other missing workers is in progress.

The fire broke out in a Lithium Battery plant in Hwaseong after several batteries exploded on Monday. Most of the workers were Chinese nationals, the Fire Officer said. The muster of regular and temporary workers was also destroyed in the fire.

The series of explosions ripped through the factory run by Aricel in the Hwaseong industrial cluster southwest of Seoul. The cause of the explosions is being investigated. The firefighters worked for about six hours to control the fire. That broke out around 10.30 am. The fire on the second floor resulted in a series of explosions on other floors of the muti-storeyed factory. The rescue team members faced difficulty in entering the premises due to a series of blasts.

Hindusthan Samachar/ Ajay Mardikar/ Dadhibal/ Sunit/Manoj