8 Bodies Found on 2nd Floor of Arisel Fire Building... "Unable to Use Stairs"

Official Confirmation of Casualties Following Factory Interior Search
9 Deaths Confirmed So Far... High Possibility of Increase

All the workers who died in the fire at the Arisell factory, a primary battery manufacturer located in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi Province, were reportedly found on the second floor of the factory where the fire initially started. Authorities estimate that the death toll will exceed 20.

On the 24th, the Hwaseong Fire Department held a briefing and announced that as of 4 p.m., a total of eight bodies had been recovered from Building 3 of the Arisell factory. A fire official stated, "The bodies were scattered in various places on the second floor, not concentrated in one spot," and added, "Rescue workers are still recovering bodies at the scene."

On the 24th, firefighters are conducting a search operation at the site of a fire at a primary battery manufacturing factory located in Seosin-myeon, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The individuals found inside the building were discovered as charred remains, unlike a man in his 60s who was previously rescued in cardiac arrest but later died.

When asked whether it was difficult to escape from the second floor of the factory where the fire broke out, the fire authorities responded, "There is a staircase leading to the ground floor, but it seems they were unable to escape through it," and added, "We will clarify the exact details during the investigation of the fire cause and damage assessment." Regarding the installation and proper functioning of fire safety equipment, they replied, "It is under investigation."

Building 3 of the Arisell factory, where the fire occurred, is known to conduct inspection and packaging of finished lithium batteries. According to eyewitnesses, an explosive combustion occurred in one battery cell during work that day. Immediately after the fire, a male worker in his 60s died from full-body burns and cardiac arrest. Additionally, two people sustained serious injuries including full-body burns, and another two suffered minor injuries after jumping from a height of 2 to 3 meters.

As the number of missing persons was identified to be as high as 23, concerns about additional casualties arose, and bodies have been continuously recovered inside the building. Authorities estimate that the death toll will exceed 20.

On the 24th, firefighters and paramedics are recovering bodies at the scene of a fire at a primary battery manufacturing factory located in Seosin-myeon, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, the fire broke out at around 10:31 a.m. at the Arisell factory located in Seosin-myeon, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi Province. Since the fire occurred at a facility handling hazardous chemicals and there were concerns about casualties and fire spread, the fire department proactively issued a Level 2 response and conducted firefighting operations. The major flames were brought under control at around 3:10 p.m., 4 hours and 40 minutes after the fire started, and rescue teams were deployed.