Fire authorities are working to remove lithium-ion battery packs that were burned in a fire at the National Information Resources Service in Daejeon (National Information Resources) from the building and move them to mobile tanks for cooling. Because thermal runaway in the batteries could recur, the removal work is expected to continue until the next day.
According to fire authorities on the 27th, as of 4 p.m. that day, the Daejeon Fire Headquarters had moved 133 of the 384 destroyed battery packs out of the building. The fire headquarters plans to complete the removal work by the next day. However, it was reported that they are facing difficulties, such as stopping work and then restarting it if a battery explosion occurs.
The fire headquarters is using blowers to vent smoke and heat from the National Information Resources computer room to the outside. However, soot and smoke are filling the site, making it impossible to accurately assess the damage. It is expected that they will be able to determine whether the fire is fully extinguished after the battery pack removal work is completed.
According to the fire headquarters, at about 8:20 p.m. the previous day, a fire broke out due to a lithium-ion battery explosion in the computer room on the fifth floor of the National Information Resources Service in Hwaam-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon. The fire headquarters deployed about 200 personnel and 64 fire engines and brought the main blaze under control at about 6:30 a.m. that day.
The fire occurred while power was being cut off for battery replacement work. During this process, an employee of the contractor working on the site suffered first-degree burns to the face and arms. After the fire is completely extinguished, the fire headquarters plans to determine the cause of the fire and the exact extent of the damage.