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By Hyunsoo Yim
SEOUL (Reuters) – 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 violating industrial safety laws.
The fire at unlisted battery maker Aricel on Monday was one of the deadliest industrial accidents in recent years. Every year, dozens of workers in South Korea lose their lives on the job despite stricter laws and other efforts to improve safety.
The company, located in Hwaseong, an industrial hub southwest of Seoul, was ordered to close its only factory for inspection, Labor Ministry official Min Gil-soo said at a news briefing.
The names and titles of Aricell officials under investigation have not been revealed. Violations of the Industrial Safety Act 2022 can result in a prison sentence for fatal accidents.
Aricel CEO Park Soon-kwan apologized on Tuesday for the fire but said the company had complied with all safety regulations and training requirements.
The plant, which had 35,000 lithium batteries stored at the time of the fire, was quickly engulfed and spreading toxic smoke likely knocked workers unconscious within seconds, fire officials said.
Only three of the dead, all South Korean men, have been identified. The identities of the others, including 17 Chinese, have yet to be determined due to the severity of the damage to the bodies.
Investigators have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire amid questions about Aricel’s employment of foreign workers on a temporary basis and whether they received adequate safety training.
Founded in 2020, Aricell has 48 full-time employees and manufactures primary lithium batteries for sensors and wireless communications devices.
Its parent company, S-Connect, supplies lithium-ion battery parts to Samsung (KS:) SDI, one of the country’s major secondary battery manufacturers.
