Two boiler towers flanking the collapsed one at a Ulsan power plant will be blown up at noon on Tuesday to facilitate the search for missing workers. Authorities say the demolition will remove obstacles to the rescue effort. Seven workers were initially trapped, with three bodies recovered and four still missing.
On Thursday (November 6, 2025), tower No. 5 at the Ulsan branch of Korea East-West Power's thermal power plant in southeastern Ulsan collapsed, trapping workers inside. The 60-meter-tall structure, which had ended 40 years of use in 2021, was in the process of demolition. Initially, seven workers were trapped; three bodies have been recovered, but four remain under the rubble, with two presumed dead.
Towers Nos. 4 and 6, which have impeded access to the debris, are scheduled for controlled blasting at noon on Tuesday. Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon stated during an on-site briefing, "We have conducted safety inspections for the blasting of Nos. 4 and 6, and notified institutions located within a 1 kilometer radius of the blasting site." Preparations included cutting steel structures and pillars, with explosives placed on site. Officials noted that the towers are designed to collapse away from the No. 5 debris to aid the search.
Following the demolition, firefighting authorities plan to deploy around 70 personnel in eight teams into the rubble. The incident occurred at the state-run utility's facility, and the search entered its fifth day. Authorities emphasized ongoing safety measures for the operation.