Second Vice Foreign Minister Kang In-sun has promised all-out efforts to support the bereaved families of foreign laborers who lost their lives in a lithium battery plant fire in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province on Monday.

According to the foreign ministry, Kang visited the scene of fire early Tuesday for a briefing on the ongoing recovery and damage suffered by foreigners.

Earlier, the ministry checked up on the support plan for foreign workers and bereaved families, with the number of foreigner deaths standing at 17 out of 23. All 17 are Chinese nationals.

Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming, who also visited the site late Monday, expressed regret and sadness over the disaster, requesting Seoul to promptly take followup measures and to give condolences to the families and console the injured workers.

On the Chinese Embassy's social media account, the ambassador said the Communist Party and the Chinese government have called for full efforts toward recovery and fire investigation, urging South Korean businesses to prevent a recurrence and to guarantee safety of Chinese workers in the country.