Battery factory fire in Gyeonggi Province: investigators conduct search

Following a fire at Aricell, a primary battery manufacturer in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, leaving 31 people dead and injured, the South Korean police and the Ministry of Employment and Labor conducted a search of the company on the 26th.
A thorough investigation was carried out at the Arisel factory and related facilities for about six and a half hours from 4 p.m. onwards. The search included Arisel's facility in Jeonggok-ri, Seosin-myeon, Hwaseong-si, as well as the labor supply facility.
The investigation covered three companies, including Arisel, the company that handles labor disputes, and Hanshin Dia. The search also included the residences of those involved, including the home of Arisel's president, Park Seung-kwan.
A team of about 50 people, including supervisors, was formed to seize the suspects' mobile phones, documents related to the process, and electronic information. The next step will be to analyze the seized materials.
The two agencies have already charged three Arisel employees and two personnel from a human resources supply company with professional negligence resulting in death or injury, violations of the Serious Accident Punishment Act, and violations of the Industrial Safety and Health Act.
The fire broke out on the second floor of the Arisel factory at around 10:30 a.m. on the 24th, killing 23 people, including 5 Koreans, 17 Chinese, and 1 Laotian, and injuring 8 others.
The identities of 14 of the dead have been confirmed, and DNA testing is underway for the remaining nine.