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Electric vehicles

Mercedes-Benz under pressure following South Korea EV blaze

Details of fire under investigation as residents call on company to make payout

South Korean and Mercedes-Benz officials conduct a joint examination on Aug. 8 of an electric car that caught fire at apartment complex in Incheon, South Korea.   © Yonhap/Reuters

SEOUL -- The South Korean branch of Mercedes-Benz is grappling with the fallout of a major fire that started in one of its vehicles as it faces escalating calls for restitution.

The blaze took place early this month at an apartment complex in Incheon, west of the capital Seoul. It started in the lithium battery of a Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle and took hours to extinguish, incinerating around 140 cars, causing roughly 20 injuries and forcing some residents to seek alternative shelter.

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