Overview
- Fire authorities said three workers have been confirmed dead, two are presumed dead and two remain unaccounted for after the 60‑meter boiler tower fell at Korea East‑West Power’s Ulsan site.
- Two workers were rescued shortly after the Thursday afternoon collapse, as crews continue searching through roughly 30 meters of twisted steel and debris under difficult, confined conditions.
- The structure came down during dismantling work that involved weakening supports for explosive demolition, with reports noting oxy‑fuel cutting on upper levels before the failure.
- President Lee Jae Myung and Prime Minister Kim Min‑seok ordered full national mobilization for the response, and ministries convened the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters to coordinate support.
- The Labor Ministry announced a strict probe that could include search‑and‑seizure and broader safety inspections, with officials noting the trapped workers were subcontractor employees on a project outsourced to HJ Shipbuilding & Construction.