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Authorities begin joint forensic investigation into Ulsan power plant collapse

Published: 18 Nov. 2025, 20:26

Officials of a joint forensic investigation team arrive at the site of a boiler tower collapse at a thermal power plant in the southeastern city of Ulsan on Nov. 18. [YONHAP]

Authorities on Tuesday began a joint forensic investigation into a boiler tower collapse at an Ulsan power plant that claimed seven lives.

The investigation team, which is made up of officials from the Ulsan Metropolitan Police, the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police, the National Forensic Service, the Ministry of Employment and Labor and other agencies, will look at debris from the collapse to find clues to the Nov. 6 accident.

A total of nine workers were initially trapped when the 63-meter-tall (206-foot-tall) boiler tower crumbled at a thermal power plant run by Korea East-West Power, a state-run utility, in the southeastern city of Ulsan.

Two escaped with injuries, but the remaining seven were found dead.

The investigation is expected to focus on parts of the tower that were weakened as part of preparations to demolish the structure after 40 years of use ended in 2021.

The police and the Labor Ministry plan to combine the investigation results with testimonies from officials and construction-related documents to determine the cause of the accident and whether there were violations of the law.

Yonhap