A firefighter works at the site of a deadly fire at a lithium battery factory owned by South Korean battery maker Aricell, in Hwaseong, South Korea, on Jun 24, 2024. SEOUL: South Korean authorities on Wednesday ordered a lithium battery maker to halt factory operations indefinitely after a fire killed 23 people and said three company officials were under investigation on suspicion of having violated industrial safety laws.on Monday was one of the deadliest industrial accidents in recent years.
The names and titles of the Aricell officials under investigation were not disclosed. Violations of the 2022 industrial safety code can result in jail terms for fatal accidents. The factory which had 35,000 lithium batteries stored at the time of the fire was quickly engulfed and the spread of toxic smoke likely left workers unconscious within seconds, fire officials have said.