Hwaseong-si Forms TF for Battery Factory Fire Response

Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun's On-Site Visit with Emergency Orders
Support for Seriously Injured and Bereaved Families... Also Blocking River Drainage Gates

Hwaseong City, Gyeonggi Province, formed a task force (TF) on the morning of the 24th to respond to a fire at a battery factory within the Jeongok General Industrial Complex in Jeongok-ri, Seosin-myeon.

According to Hwaseong City on the day, Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun canceled all schedules immediately after the fire and visited the site to manage the situation. Mayor Jeong ordered an emergency evacuation to minimize damage to residents caused by smoke and urged residents to refrain from outdoor activities through disaster text messages and village broadcasts.

The city closed the drainage gates leading to the river to prevent firefighting water mixed with chemicals from flowing into the sea through the river. At the same time, a TF team was formed with the vice mayor as the head to support the families of the deceased and seriously injured.

Additionally, the city established an on-site integrated headquarters to respond to the fire situation and plans to conduct safety inspections of air pollutants jointly with the Hangang River Basin Environmental Office.

Mayor Jeong said, "In response to this sudden accident, the city will provide all possible support together with the fire authorities," adding, "We will mobilize all the city's capabilities to provide administrative support for casualties and prevent damage to nearby residents caused by smoke."

At around 10:30 a.m. on the day, a fire broke out at Arisel, a primary battery manufacturer in the Jeongok Marine Industrial Complex, resulting in one employee dead, three seriously injured, and 21 missing. Fire authorities have deployed 159 personnel and 63 pieces of equipment to suppress the fire and conduct rescue operations, but continuous explosions of battery cells have caused the fire to spread rapidly, making extinguishing and internal search difficult.

Arisel, where the fire occurred, manufactures lithium batteries and delivers finished products, with reportedly at least 35,000 batteries inside the factory.