Boiler Tower Collapses in Ulsan, Killing 6 Workers

A boiler tower at a thermal power plant in the southeastern South Korean city of Ulsan collapsed during demolition preparations on November 6, trapping seven workers and leaving six confirmed dead with one still missing as rescue efforts continued into the following week.

The incident occurred around 2 p.m. at the Ulsan branch of Korea East-West Power Co., a state-run utility. The 63-meter-tall structure, known as Unit 5, had been decommissioned in 2021 after 40 years of operation. Nine workers were on site that day, performing weakening procedures by partially cutting steel supports to prepare for controlled blasting. The sudden collapse buried seven of them under a mass of twisted metal and debris, measuring 25 meters wide and 15.5 meters long. Two workers escaped unharmed.

Rescue operations faced significant challenges due to the site's instability and entangled wreckage. Firefighting authorities deployed drones, heat sensors, remote scopes, and search dogs to locate the trapped individuals, but efforts were repeatedly paused for safety reasons. By Sunday, November 9, three bodies had been recovered, including that of a 44-year-old worker surnamed Kim, whose arm was pinned in...