A fire at a battery manufacturing plant near the South Korean capital Seoul on Monday has left 22 people dead.

Firefighters in South Korea say the fire started at the factory in Hwaseong in Gyeonggi Province around 10:30 a.m. They say 22 people were confirmed dead as of around 6:30 p.m.

Two of the victims were South Korean, 18 were Chinese nationals and one was from Laos.

According to the firefighters, the three-story factory has a floor space of about 2,300 square meters and produces lithium batteries.

They quote witnesses as saying that batteries had exploded and are investigating the connection with the fire.

President Yoon Suk-yeol has told related Cabinet ministers and fire department officials to do everything possible to save lives.