Ulsan Power Plant Collapse

Nov 19, 2025

Seoyeon Kim

www.chosun.comA worker who had been trapped and missing after the collapse at Korea East-West Power’s Ulsan Thermal Power Plant on November 6 was found dead after being rescued on November 11. The victim, identified as Kim (63), was discovered approximately 128 hours after the fire department began rescue operations.

At around 3:40 p.m., rescue teams resumed their search for the four missing workers and located Kim. However, he was pronounced dead at 10:18 p.m., and his body was recovered shortly after.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) accelerated the search and rescue efforts by conducting a controlled demolition of Boiler Units 4 and 6, which were located on both sides of the collapsed No. 5 Boiler Tower, around noon. Earlier, rescue operations had been hindered due to the high risk of additional collapse.

Families of the trapped workers anxiously waited for updates near the plant’s main gate, more than 300 meters away from the blast site.

The fire department deployed eight specialized rescue teams, consisting of about 70 firefighters and experts, along with private demolition specialists, to continue the operation. Large cranes and heavy machinery were used to lift debris from the No. 5 unit, while two beam cutters were employed in areas where the missing workers’ locations had been identified.

The collapse on November 6 resulted in two workers rescued alive, while four were confirmed dead. Another worker, whose location has been confirmed, is also presumed dead, and two remain missing. Authorities said that overnight search operations will continue.

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