22 die in blaze at South Korea battery plant

KABUL (Pajhwok): At least 22 workers of a lithium battery plant have been killed and eight others injured in a blaze in South Korea, reports said on Monday.

According to AP, the incident took place at 10:30am local time on Monday in Hwaseong city, south of the capital Seoul.

A local official said the fire probably resulted from an explosion of lithium batteries.

Officials said the fire erupted while workers were busy packaging the batteries, one of which exploded on the second floor of the factory.

A local fire-extinguishing official, Kim Jin-young, told a television channel the victims of this incident included 18 Chinese workers, two South Koreans, one Laotian and another who could not be immediately recognised.

If overheated, lithium batteries may catch fire or explode.

aw/mud