SEOUL, June 24 (Reuters) - A fire broke out at a lithium battery factory in South Korea on Monday, killing at least 16 people and five others remain missing, local fire officials said.
The fire, which has largely been extinguished, occurred at around 10:30 a.m. (0130 GMT) at a factory run by battery manufacturer Aricell in Hwaseong, south of the capital Seoul.
The blaze began after a series of battery cells exploded inside a warehouse with some 35,000 units, said Kim Jin-young, a local fire official. What had triggered the explosion remains unclear, he added.
The fire, which has largely been extinguished, occurred at around 10:30 a.m. (0130 GMT) at a factory run by battery manufacturer Aricell in Hwaseong, south of the capital Seoul.
The blaze began after a series of battery cells exploded inside a warehouse with some 35,000 units, said Kim Jin-young, a local fire official. What had triggered the explosion remains unclear, he added.
