The fire that broke out Monday at a lithium battery production plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province has left 16 people dead and seven others injured. 

According to fire authorities, all of the bodies were recovered from the second floor of the three-story building where the fire broke out. 

Flames broke out at the factory at around 10:30 a.m. and the main fire was extinguished around 3:10 p.m.  

Officials said an estimated total of 102 people were working inside the factory at the time of the fire. Workers who were on the first floor evacuated on their own shortly after the fire started.  

Authorities proactively issued a Level Two alert about 20 minutes after the fire broke out, requiring up to seven fire stations to mobilize a maximum 50 units of fire fighting equipment. 

Over 35-thousand lithium battery products were said to have been stored in the factory. 

Given that the fire has yet to be fully put out, the Hwaseong city government has sent out disaster alert texts to local residents, urging them to refrain from outdoor activities due to the possible release of toxic substances from the fire.