Body of 4th worker recovered at Ulsan power plant
Rescue workers search for missing workers from a collapsed boiler tower at a thermal power plant in the southeastern city of Ulsan, Tuesday. Yonhap
The body of another worker was recovered Tuesday night after search operations resumed for those trapped under a collapsed boiler tower at a thermal power plant in the southeastern city of Ulsan, raising the death toll to four.
Firefighters found the body of a man in his 60s around 10:14 p.m. in the debris of Tower 5, about 6 1/2 hours after two adjacent towers were demolished to clear the way for rescue efforts.
The latest victim was discovered about 3 to 4 meters from the entrance leading toward Tower 6, within the debris of Tower 5, according to authorities. Rescue crews used beam cutters to remove rebar and secure space before retrieving the body.
The boiler tower at the plant operated by the Korea East-West Power Co., a state-run utility, collapsed last week, trapping seven workers. Another worker has been located but is feared dead, while two others remain missing.
Search operations had been suspended Sunday amid fears that the two adjacent boiler towers could also collapse, but Towers 4 and 6 were blown up earlier in the day to allow rescuers to safely resume digging through the debris of Tower 5.
Eight rescue teams totaling about 70 personnel will be deployed in shifts to continue the search for the remaining trapped and missing workers throughout the night, officials said.
Each tower was 63 meters tall.
At the time of its collapse, Tower 5 had been in the process of being demolished after 40 years of use ending in 2021.