SEOUL, South Korea – A massive search and rescue operation is facing hazardous conditions in the South Korean city of Ulsan after a 60-meter (196-foot) tower at a decommissioned power plant collapsed during demolition, killing three workers and leaving two others presumed dead.
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| South Korea Tower Collapse: Rescue team work near a 60-meter (196-foot) tower which collapsed during demolition work at a decommissioned thermal power plant in Ulsan, South Korea, Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. (Bae Byung-soo/Newsis via AP)- (ASSOCIATED PRESS) |
The catastrophic failure occurred Thursday afternoon at a thermal power plant that had been decommissioned in 2021. Nine workers were at the site when the towering boiler structure suddenly gave way.
As of Friday, officials provided a grim update on the casualties:
2 workers were pulled to safety shortly after the initial collapse.
1 worker was rescued later but was pronounced dead at a hospital early Friday.
2 additional workers were later pulled from the rubble and pronounced dead.
2 other workers remain trapped and unlocated; fire officials believe they are also dead.
This brings the total feared dead to five, with two survivors.
A Perilous Rescue Effort
The search for the final two workers is a desperate race against time, hampered by the extreme instability of the site and toxic materials.
Kim Jeong-shik, an official with Ulsan’s fire department, described a "nightmarish" scene for the more than 340 rescue workers deployed.
"The rescue site is currently covered with large amounts of asbestos and glass fibers," Kim said in a briefing. "The space is extremely cramped, forcing rescue workers to manually clear the debris by hand in order to carry out the rescue operations."
The operation, which includes search dogs, thermal cameras, and specialized endoscopes, was temporarily halted on Friday morning. Officials expressed grave concerns that the remaining unstable rubble could shift and trigger a secondary collapse, endangering the rescue crews themselves. After stabilization work was reassessed, the search was resumed.
National Response and Investigation
The disaster has drawn a response from the highest levels of government. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung instructed officials to "mobilize all available personnel and equipment" for the rescue effort, while prioritizing the safety of the responders operating in the hazardous rubble.
The plant, which had been in operation for 40 years, was shut down in 2021. The boiler tower was one of three at the site being prepared for demolition.
Officials stated the tower had already been "weakened" as part of the planned demolition process. An investigation is expected to focus on whether the demolition procedures were adequate and why the structure failed so catastrophically with workers still at the site.