SEOUL, Aug 29 (Bernama-dpa) - The head of South Korean battery manufacturer Aricell has been arrested over alleged safety violations following a major fire in one of the company's factories that killed 23 people.
The fire occurred in June at an Aricell lithium battery factory in the city of Hwaseong, about 45 kilometres south of Seoul. Most of the 23 victims were workers of Chinese origin.
The court justified its decision to issue an arrest warrant for Aricell's chief executive officer, Park Soon Kwan, citing serious allegations, including causing the fire due to quality defects and the use of inadequately trained contract workers, news agency Yonhap reported on Thursday.
The company is also accused of violating safety regulations, such as inadequate escape routes.
According to Yonhap, this incident is one of the most serious accidents at a chemical plant in South Korea.
In 1989, 16 people were killed by explosions at a chemical plant in the southern city of Yeosu.
Eight people died in Cheongju in 2012 when a chemical solvent exploded in a plant owned by LG Chem.
-- BERNAMA-dpa
