About 20 bodies were found at the site of a lithium battery plant fire in Hwaseong, south of the Republic of Korea’s capital, Seoul, on Monday, after the blaze had already left one worker dead and three others injured earlier in the day.

The blaze started at lithium battery maker Aricell’s plant in Hwaseong, 45 kilometres south of Seoul, at around 10:30 am, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The firefighters said that the deceased are believed to be among 23 people unaccounted for in the fire, amid fears the death toll could rise further.

Of the 23 people missing in the fire, 20 are believed to be foreigners.

The government convened an emergency meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters in the afternoon to discuss measures to minimise casualties from the disaster.