South Korea power plant collapse: Death toll expected to rise as rescuers pull 3rd body from rubble
Four people remained buried with the authorities unable to locate two of them.
South Korea rescue officials on Sunday pulled a third body from the rubble after the collapse of a large structure at a power station, according to media reports.
The reports also claimed that as many as four more people remained buried in the rubble, with the authorities unable to locate two of them.
A 60-meter tower at Korea East-West Power's Ulsan Power Plant headquarters, in Ulsan, reportedly collapsed during demolition work at the decommissioned heating facility on Thursday, November 6.
Footage from the scene in Ulsan on South Korea's southeastern coast showed the structure mangled and toppled over, surrounded by similar structures.
Rescuers have deployed heat sensors, remote scopes and search dogs to assist the rescue operation and locate the other trapped workers, though their efforts have been hampered by the risk of a further collapse of the structure.
More than 340 rescue workers and around 90 vehicles and equipment had been deployed to the site for search and rescue efforts.
South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok ordered all ministries to "mobilise all available personnel and equipment, placing top priority on rescuing those trapped."
Residents were also being evacuated from the area, the Prime Minister's Office added.
The plant was decommissioned in 2021 after 40 years of operation. Officials said that the boiler tower, one of three at the site, had been weakened when the workers were reportedly dismantling the massive steel structure to prepare for demolition, when it suddenly collapsed.