Investigators comb wreckage after S. Korea battery plant fire kills 23

SEOUL — Investigators combed the charred wreckage of a South Korean lithium factory on Tuesday to find the cause of a massive blaze that killed 23 in one of the country's worst factory disasters in years.

The fire department said 23 people are now confirmed dead, including 17 Chinese nationals, one fewer than their initial figure of 18, with identification work ongoing.

"We plan to confirm the victims' identities by collecting DNA from their bodies," firefighter Kim Jinyoung told reporters.

The government launched its formal investigation on Tuesday, involving ministries and departments from across the board, to pinpoint the exact cause of the fire, with investigators entering the building.

More than 100 people were working in the factory when workers heard a series of explosions from the second floor, where lithium-ion batteries were being inspected and packaged.

CCTV footage from the entrance of the factory building showed white smoke filling the area in less than 20 seconds, as people raced out, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Toxic fumes likely overwhelmed workers quickly in the area where the blaze began, the fire department said, adding that as it was a lithium fire, the workers' efforts to extinguish it would not have worked.

Park Soon-kwan, CEO of Aricell, owner of the lithium battery plant, apologized on Tuesday for the fire, saying the company would "support the needs in every way" of the families of the victims.

He said the company would cooperate with investigators, adding that it had dry-powder fire extinguishers throughout the building and conducted regular safety training drills for employees.

"We will be conscientiously taking part in the investigation by authorities and will do our best to determine the cause of the accident and will take measures to prevent a repeat of such an accident," Park told reporters at the scene.

Xing Haiming, China's ambassador to Seoul, visited the site of the fire late on Monday.

The South Korean side deeply mourns the tragic deaths of Chinese citizens in the accident and will assist China in doing its utmost to rescue and deal with the aftermath.

Xing urged the South Korean side to find out the cause of the accident as soon as possible, properly deal with the aftermath, and provide all necessary support for the families of the Chinese victims.

Agencies - Xinhua