South Korea: Search continues for people trapped in thermal power plant

Ulsan, Nov 6 (IANS) A boiler tower collapsed at a thermal power plant in the southeastern city of Ulsan on Thursday, trapping seven workers, with a rescue and search operation underway, authorities said.

The collapse was reported at the Ulsan branch of Korea East-West Power Co., a state-run utility company, shortly after 2 pm, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Initially, nine workers had been reported trapped, but two of them were rescued early on and were not in a life-threatening condition.

Two more were subsequently spotted, with one of them conscious, as rescuers tried to pull them out, while a search was still underway to find the five who remain trapped.

The two workers being rescued were presumed to be trapped between the ground and debris, with firefighters digging through gravel and dirt to secure space for them to come out.

"We are making efforts to pull out the trapped individuals who have been found, and are considering lifting or dismantling the collapsed structure to quickly locate the remaining people," a firefighting official said.

Rescuers, meanwhile, have installed searchlights after sunset, allowing them to continue operations through the night.

The collapsed tower was 60 meters tall and reportedly in the process of being dismantled using explosives. The trapped people are all presumed to be employees of a subcontractor.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung ordered the full mobilisation of equipment and personnel to rescue those trapped and handle the aftermath of the accident, according to his spokesperson Kim Nam-jun.

He further called for utmost efforts to prevent safety-related accidents among rescue personnel.

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok also gave similar instructions to the interior ministry and the firefighting and police agencies.

The labour ministry said it will conduct a strict investigation to determine whether there were any violations of safety and disaster laws, and will establish a disaster response headquarters with relevant government organisations.

"We will proactively seek a compulsory investigation, including search and seizure, to thoroughly determine the cause of the accident," Labour Minister Kim Young-hoon said.

The thermal power plant was built in 1981 and had been in the process of being dismantled following its retirement in 2022.

The plant, consisting of three power generation units, supplied 15 per cent of South Korea's electricity demand in the early 1980s.

Korea East-West Power Co. outsourced the dismantling project to HJ Shipbuilding & Construction Co. in January under a 57.5 billion-won (US$39.7 million) deal. The project was scheduled for completion by March 2026.

--IANS

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