Dell Inc. said Tuesday that the computer industry was experiencing a shortage of batteries for laptop models in part because of a recent fire at a major supplier. The computer maker said it was working with other suppliers to limit any price increases.

Dell, the world's second-largest PC maker after Hewlett-Packard Co., also said prices of its batteries sold separately as replacements or for surplus power had gone up because of the shortage caused partly by the March 3 fire at LG Chem's plant in Ochang, South Korea.