India, Oct. 6 -- A data center fire caused the shutdown of hundreds of online government services in South Korea, likely caused by a battery explosion. This incident is particularly severe, but there have been many like it through the battery energy storage system (BESS) industry, highlighting the need for further improvements to enhance battery safety.

At 8:20 pm on Friday 26th September, in Daejeon city, 85 miles from Seoul, a data center fire caused the shutdown of hundreds of online government services in South Korea. The cause of the fire is likely a battery explosion, which led to an out-of-control thermal runaway situation in a room with almost two hundred lithium-ion battery packs.

This incident is particularly severe, but there...