3 killed, 2 feared dead, 2 unaccounted for in Ulsan power plant collapse
 

 
 Three workers have died and two others were presumed dead after being discovered under a collapsed boiler tower at a thermal power plant in the southeastern city of Ulsan on Friday, with two others remaining unaccounted for, firefighting officials said.

The boiler tower collapsed at a power plant of the Ulsan branch of Korea East-West Power Co., a state-run utility company, the previous day.

Two workers were pronounced dead after being pulled out of the rubble, raising the death toll to three, firefighting officials said. One person had been pronounced dead while trapped earlier in the day.

Operations to pull out another two were under way, though both were feared dead.

The exact locations of the remaining two were still unknown.

Initially, nine workers had been reported trapped, but two were rescued early on.

One of the deceased was identified as a 44-year-old. He was pronounced dead around 5 a.m. after going into cardiac arrest while rescue workers tried to pull him out, Kim Jeong-sik, an official at the Ulsan Nambu fire station, told reporters.

"A rescue worker injected him with painkillers and took measures to keep him warm, but he eventually passed away," Kim said.

Firefighters had to work through some 30 meters of steel and other debris to reach the site of the collapse.

The tower, built in 1981, was 60 meters tall and reportedly in the process of being demolished after its use was stopped in 2021.

The accident happened as workers from a subcontractor commissioned to dismantle the structure were cutting steel supports to ease its collapse during blasting work.

As the work took place some 25 meters above ground, industry experts raised the possibility that a heavier load was placed on one side of the structure and caused it to collapse.

Whether safety measures were in place, such as by supporting the tower with wires, will be a key question during the investigation process.

The labor ministry has said it plans to conduct searches and seizures to investigate the cause.

Source : https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/20251107/3-killed-2-feared-dead-2-unaccounted-for-in-ulsan-power-plant-collapse

Comprehension

How many workers have been confirmed dead in the Ulsan power plant collapse?
What company operates the power plant where the accident occurred?
What was happening at the power plant at the time of the collapse?
How tall was the boiler tower that collapsed?
When was the tower originally built, and when was it last used?
What were the workers doing when the accident happened?
What did rescue workers do to try to save one of the victims?
What will the labor ministry do to determine the cause of the accident?

Discussion

What do you think causes most workplace accidents — human error, poor safety measures, or both?
How should companies ensure the safety of workers in dangerous jobs?
What emotions might rescue workers feel in situations like this?
Should older industrial structures, like the tower built in 1981, require stricter inspection before demolition? Why or why not?
What role should the government play in preventing workplace accidents?
How might families of the workers feel about this tragedy?
Why do you think some safety rules are ignored or overlooked during construction or demolition work?
How can technology help make construction and demolition work safer?
What should happen if it is found that safety measures were not properly followed?
How can news stories like this one help improve public awareness of workplace safety?

Vocabulary

Collapse – to fall down or give way suddenly.
Debris – pieces of broken material after something is destroyed.
Demolition – the act of tearing down or destroying a structure.
Subcontractor – a company hired by another company to do part of a job.
Rescue – to save someone from danger or harm.
Presumed – believed to be true without definite proof.
Seizure – the act of taking control of something, often as part of an investigation.
Investigation – a careful search to find out the truth or cause of something.