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Another body of worker recovered at the collapsed Ulsan Thermal Plant

Published: 09 Nov. 2025, 11:43

YOON SO-YEON
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Boiler Tower Unit 5 is seen collapsed at the Ulsan Thermal Power Plant in Ulsan on Nov. 9. Rescue operations were halted on Nov. 8 after an alarm sounded to signal the risk of another collapse [YONHAP]

A body was recovered at the Ulsan Thermal Power Plant's collapsed boiler tower on Sunday morning, four days after the tower collapsed on Thursday.

The worker, a 44-year-old surnamed Kim, is presumed to have died on Friday morning after his arm was stuck undedrneath rubble. Two more people, also presumed dead, remain trapped, and two are missing.

Authorities halted rescue operations on Saturday afternoon after an alarm sounded to signal the risk of another collapse. Operations resumed on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. after officials reviewed safety conditions.

According to the fire authorities and Korea East-West Power, a sensor detecting structural instability was triggered at around 5:25 p.m. on Saturday. Rescue personnel and equipment were immediately evacuated to a safe zone. Lighting vehicles were also removed from the site.

The alarm reportedly came from the collapsed boiler tower of Unit 5. The sensor is designed to detect shifts in inclination and was installed by the government's disaster response headquarters to prevent secondary accidents. The company that installed the device is working to determine what caused it to activate.

“The overnight rain and the winds raised the risk of another collapse, making it difficult for us to resume search operations within the structure,” a fire department official said on Sunday. Ulsan saw 18 millimeters (0.7 inches) of rain overnight. Drones were operational from 8:10 a.m. on Sunday, and 17 personnel were dispatched to the scene at 10:30 a.m.

Authorities assess the situation at the Ulsan Power Plant in Ulsan on Nov. 9 after an alarm sounded to signal the risk of another collapse. [YONHAP]

“It's unclear at this stage whether the alarm indicated a real threat or was simply a malfunction,” a fire official said.

The government response team announced Saturday that it would dismantle Units 4 and 6, located on either side of the collapsed Unit 5. Structural weakening work had already been completed on both units in preparation for demolition, raising concerns that they could also collapse.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY YOON SO-YEON, CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]