Three dead and two missing after tower collapses at decommissioned power plant

The 60-metre tower collapsed during demolition work

Rescue teams work at the site of a tower collapse in Ulsan, South Korea

A 60-metre (196-foot) tower has collapsed during demolition work at a decommissioned thermal power plant in Ulsan, South Korea, resulting in the deaths of three people and leaving at least two others presumed dead, officials confirmed on Friday.

Five people remain trapped under the rubble, with two yet to be located.

Nine people were working at the site when the boiler tower gave way on Thursday afternoon.

Rescue workers swiftly pulled two to safety, but another worker rescued later was pronounced dead at a hospital early on Friday morning.

Hours later, a further worker was recovered and pronounced dead, while a doctor at the scene confirmed the death of another among three people in the debris.

Fire officials, including Kim Jeong-shik of Ulsan’s fire department, believe the remaining two are also deceased.

The tower collapsed during demolition work

The search was temporarily halted on Friday morning due to concerns over unstable rubble, and officials postponed planned stabilisation work before resuming the search after spotting additional workers.

More than 340 rescue workers and dozens of vehicles had been deployed to the site for search and rescue efforts, along with search dogs, thermal cameras, endoscopes and other detection equipment, Mr Kim said.

“The rescue site is currently covered with large amounts of asbestos and glass fibers … and the space is extremely cramped, forcing rescue workers to manually clear the debris by hand in order to carry out the rescue operations,” the fire official said.

Following the collapse, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung instructed officials to mobilise all available personnel and equipment for the rescue effort while ensuring the safety of rescue workers operating in the rubble.

The plant was decommissioned in 2021 after 40 years of operation. Officials said the boiler tower — one of three at the site — had been weakened as it was being prepared for demolition.