AT LEAST 20 people have been killed after a horror fire has broken out at a South Korean lithium battery factory.
Harrowing pictures show thick plumes of smoke billowing through the air as the huge inferno ripped through the burning plant with firefighters still struggling to find bodies.
Billowing smoke was seen after the horror fire that has left several dead
APFirefighters are seen carrying out bodies from the factory[/caption]
The fire is said to have started after a series of highly flammable battery cells exploded inside a warehouse, said local fire official Kim Jin-young.
Kim followed up saying up to 35,000 units were inside the factory at the time of the blast on Monday morning.
The lithium battery plant is owned by Aricell, a South Korean manufacturer and is located in Hwaseong, south of the capital Seoul.
Kim Jin-young, a firefighter at the scene told local media: “We are still unable to go inside and carry out rescue operation. We will carry it out once we get the fire under control.
“Twenty-one workers are unaccounted for now. We are planning to track their whereabouts with their contacts provided from the company.”
Initial reports say 20 bodies were recovered by emergency specialists.
At least four others have been left hospitalised with two in a critical condition, Kim announced at a briefing.