The search for two missing workers from a boiler tower collapse at a thermal power plant in Ulsan has entered its fifth day. Three bodies have been recovered so far, including one on Sunday, while four remain trapped. Rescue teams have temporarily withdrawn to prepare for the demolition of adjacent towers before using heavy equipment to clear debris.
On Thursday, November 6, a boiler tower collapsed at the Ulsan branch of Korea East-West Power Co., a state-run utility, trapping seven workers. The 60-meter-tall structure had been in use for 40 years until operations ceased in 2021 and was in the demolition process when the incident occurred.
Two bodies were recovered on Friday, the first day, and another on Sunday morning—a 44-year-old victim who died Friday while awaiting rescue under the rubble. This raised the confirmed death toll to three, with four people still trapped, including two presumed dead and two whose locations remain unconfirmed.
Firefighting authorities deployed drones overnight into the debris to aid the search but failed to locate the missing. As the fifth day began on Monday, search personnel temporarily withdrew from the site to prepare for the demolition of two flanking boiler towers, which started the previous day. Once demolished early this week, officials plan to use heavy equipment to lift the collapsed debris, accelerating the effort to find the remaining workers.
The incident highlights ongoing concerns about safety in power plant maintenance and the risks of demolishing aging infrastructure.
