Exploding batteries spark deadly South Korea factory fire | BBC News

A massive factory fire that began after several lithium batteries exploded has killed at least 22 people in South Korea.

The blaze broke out on Monday morning at the Aricell plant in Hwaseong city, about 45km (28 miles) south of the capital Seoul.

Local television footage showed large smoke clouds and small explosions going off as firefighters sought to put out the fire. A part of the roof had collapsed.

South Korea is a leading producer of lithium batteries, which are used in many items from electric vehicles to laptops.

#SouthKorea #BBCNews

[nanyoungkim]

As a korean we are very sorry for this terrible accident. And condolences to the victims who are mostly foreign workers. We have got the responsibility to support the victim's families.

[geniemartyn]

Scotland still dealing with a similar story.. at a recycling centre at the time of this post.

[thewiseperson]

Lithium batteries are fundamentally a nightmare.

[mrECisME]

"Lithium Batteries only catch fire when literally anything happens to them and they explode" okay, cool.

[Ratatoothie]

RIP to all the valuable lives lost.
I hope they will improve workign conditions and pay for these people, and that their families receive all the support they need. 🙏

[ianharley]

A house fire in Gosport, Hants spread to other properties. It was an e-scooter on charge.

[geoffs]

Professor Christensen now says he is a fan of Lithium batteries but he previously stated they should not exist as they are thermodynamically unstable. You can find his talk on YouTube. What is going on?

[Felled-angel]

They won't admit they are EV batteries

[jayharr]

Lithium batteriy fires are NO joke! The smoke & flames produced by them once ignited are beyond intense! I feel sorry for those who lost their lives in this tragic fire. My heart goes out to them as well as their families 🌹🛐🕊🌹

[Hhhbm]

Of course, there's a risk of fire and explosion when handling lithium batteries. I can't deny that. But the underlying reason why this tragedy happened is what the professor told us. People died of lack of training.
I'm Korean, and I feel terrible about it.
This happened because the company didn't follow safety guidelines. From the video taken by security cameras in the factory, workers didn't know how to deal with the fire when it first started. Fire caused by lithium battery is not just a fire. It needs a special fire extinguisher. But the company didn't train the workers. The workers had no idea how to put out the fire on lithium batteries. It can be prevented. It should've been prevented. I'm really sorry. Condolences to the victims.

[jonathon]

These batteries sound like the most dangerous things in the world as this guy describes them. Think i will stick to petrol motors thanks

[ggavin]

The ev evangelist is of course, blaming the workers. They were packing them and not abusing them. Delusional.

[DarylSolis]

EV batteries, not just lithium batteries. People think just tiny little AA batteries when they hear batteries. We are talkn huge desk size batteries that exploded there.

[ramatgan]

This is why I will never buy a electric car.

[phil_]

This is why lithium is a bad investment.

[YUDNSAY]

If you ever want to go solar/off grid, best not to use lithium batteries.

[stickynorth]

Lithium-Ion batteries don't come without risks as this clearly shows.. LFP technology should become the more mainstream option for its improved safety and simplicity...

[Taketimeout]

Gosh.
Lithium is more dangerous than nuclear.
What an unhelpful " expert" .
Another label for him would be more accurate.
They are not dangerous but they are very dangerous? !

[andygarside]

Saw a poster once that explained what would happen if 99.9% was good enough... hundreds of thousands of children given to the wrong parents every year. Dozens of planes would fall out of the sky and hundreds would die on the operating table. 99.9% of batteries might not catch fire but that is little consolation to the man whos kids died in a house fire.

[rogerhargreaves]

Sad for the victims and their families.