Huge flames and smoke billow from lithium battery maker Aricell's plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Yonhap

At least 22 people were killed in a devastating fire at a lithium battery manufacturing plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, Monday, according to police and firefighters.

Among the victims, 20 were confirmed to be foreign nationals.

Rescue officials were still searching for one person who remained unaccounted for as of 9 p.m.

According to firefighters, the fire at the Aricell lithium battery manufacturing factory resulted in the confirmed deaths of at least 22 workers, with two seriously injured and six others sustaining minor injuries.

Of the 22 dead people, 18 were Chinese nationals, one was Laotian, two were Korean, and the nationality of one has not been confirmed.

The authorities said confirming the identities of the deceased will take time due to the severe damage to the bodies. DNA testing will be conducted to identify the victims.

The foreign ministry said it will closely collaborate with Korean diplomatic missions in the countries of the victims to provide necessary support for the bereaved families.

All 22 bodies were discovered on the plant's second floor, where the blaze started.

Firefighters retrieve the bodies of victims after a fire erupted at Aricell's lithium battery manufacturing plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

The fire broke out at around 10:30 a.m., likely caused by an explosive combustion in a battery cell on the second floor of the factory. This particular plant, one of 11 run by Aricell, was designated for the inspection and packaging of finished lithium batteries, with at least 35,000 batteries estimated to be inside the plant.

Firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control at around 3:10 p.m., more than four hours after it started.

They encountered significant challenges in extinguishing the fire due to the difficulty of dousing burning lithium batteries using conventional fire extinguishing methods.

A firefighter extinguises a fire at a lithium battery manufacturing plant owned by Aricell in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

The government convened an emergency meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters in the afternoon to formulate responses.

During the meeting, Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min urged all relevant government agencies and municipalities to mobilize every available resource and personnel to extinguish the fire and rescue survivors.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor convened a meeting of the Central Industrial Accident Management Headquarters to assess the exact cause and damage of the blaze. The Ministry of Environment also issued a chemical accident crisis alert, preparing for potential emissions of hazardous substances such as chlorine and sulfur oxides.

President Yoon Suk Yeol visits the site of a battery plant fire in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

President Yoon Suk Yeol visited the site at around 7 p.m., assessing the damage and emergency response efforts.

At the scene, Yoon expressed condolences to the bereaved families. He also received a briefing from the head of the Gyeonggi-do Fire Department regarding the status of the fire containment efforts, and instructed a thorough investigation into the cause of the blaze.

Earlier, Yoon directed the interior minister to mobilize all possible resources, including manpower and equipment, for the search and rescue operations to locate the missing individuals.