Writer: Ren Xianxiu
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean authorities on Wednesday ordered a lithium battery maker to halt manufacturing facility operations indefinitely after a hearth killed 23 folks and mentioned three firm officers had been beneath investigation for alleged violations of commercial security legal guidelines.
Monday’s hearth at privately held battery maker Aricell was one of many worst industrial accidents in recent times. Regardless of stricter legal guidelines and different measures to enhance security, dozens of staff are nonetheless killed on the job in South Korea yearly.
The corporate, positioned in Hwaseong, an industrial hub southwest of Seoul, was ordered to shut its solely manufacturing facility for inspection, Labor Ministry official Min Gil-soo mentioned in a briefing.
The names and positions of Aricell officers beneath investigation weren’t disclosed. Violation of the Industrial Security Code 2022 might end in a jail sentence for deadly accidents.
Aricell Chief Govt Park Quickly-kwan apologized for the hearth on Tuesday however mentioned the corporate had complied with all security laws and coaching necessities.
Fireplace officers mentioned the plant, which was storing 35,000 lithium batteries, was rapidly engulfed when the hearth broke out, and the unfold of poisonous smoke might have brought about staff to lose consciousness inside seconds.
Solely three South Korean males among the many useless have been recognized. Others, together with 17 Chinese language nationals, haven’t but been recognized because of the extreme harm to the our bodies.
Investigators have begun seeking to decide the reason for the hearth amid questions on Aricell’s momentary hiring of international staff and whether or not they obtained ample security coaching.
Based in 2020, Aricell has 48 full-time workers and produces lithium main batteries to be used in sensors and radio communications gear.
Its mum or dad firm S-Join provides lithium-ion battery elements to Samsung (KS:) SDI, certainly one of South Korea’s main secondary battery producers.
