Another one? Battery plant in Hungary started investigation after worker claims they have been poisoned

A Chinese-owned battery manufacturing facility in eastern Hungary has launched an internal investigation after allegations surfaced that workers were poisoned at its Debrecen facility.

Where have we heard this before?

The company, CATL, confirmed on Saturday that it had begun examining reports that recently appeared in the media. In a statement, the firm said the inquiry was ongoing and that it would inform the public about developments. It also pledged to notify authorities where necessary and cooperate fully with any official procedures, stressing that employee safety and environmental protection remain top priorities.

The case came to light after Zsolt Tárkányi, a parliamentary candidate for the Tisza Party in Hajdú-Bihar County, posted a video teaser on Facebook. In the clip, an anonymous worker — with their face hidden and voice distorted — described symptoms consistent with chemical exposure at a battery plant in Debrecen, writes Telex.

In case you missed it: Looks like the Samsung battery plant’s management tried to make the Hungarian government halt investigations into poisoning workers.

The worker talks about the battery plant incident in a video published by a Tisza Party member

According to the account, at least two employees reportedly suffered poisoning a few days earlier. The worker claimed that gases and compounds, including lithium, manganese and cobalt, leaked from a battery cell during handling. They described experiencing throat pain, severe headaches and trembling before losing consciousness. Colleagues allegedly reported that the person briefly showed signs of disorientation and partial paralysis. The candidate said the published footage was only a short extract and that the full interview would be released later.