With the completion of the blasting operations on Boiler Towers 4 and 6 on November 11, which had been obstructing the search for those trapped in the Ulsan Thermal Power Plant collapse, search and rescue operations have now entered full swing.
The Central Accident Response Headquarters and the National Fire Agency announced that as of 3:40 p.m. on this day, search and rescue activities for the four missing individuals had resumed.
Previously, the collapse of Unit 5 on November 6 resulted in a total of seven people being trapped. Of these, two whose locations have been identified are presumed dead, while the remaining two are still missing.
Fire authorities have deployed two cutting machines to the area where the trapped individuals' locations have been confirmed and are carrying out rescue operations. The search is being conducted using oxygen cutting machines in areas where safety has been secured, and the perimeter will be gradually expanded by using cranes to establish safe work zones.
A total of nine rescue teams, comprising 72 rescue workers mobilized from across the country, have been deployed to the scene. The Chief of the Ulsan Fire Headquarters (Special Response Unit Commander) is leading the on-site command post, which is operating around the clock.
The search and rescue procedure follows a three-stage rotational deployment system consisting of a rescue team, a Rapid Intervention Team (RIT), and a backup team. The situation on site will be monitored simultaneously by drones and the backup team to ensure both accuracy and safety in rescue operations.
In addition, the National Fire Agency has implemented a thorough management system to ensure the safety of rescue workers. Before deployment, all rescue personnel received a briefing on the rescue plan and safety training, led by Kim Seungryong, Director of the Central Emergency Rescue Control Team (Acting Commissioner of the National Fire Agency). Rescue workers are currently being deployed step by step, starting from zones where safety has been confirmed.
Eleven specialized safety management personnel, including safety officers and an aerial drone team, are conducting real-time inspections of the entire site. If any signs of danger are detected, an immediate evacuation signal will be relayed to all personnel, and rapid withdrawal will be facilitated through radios, vehicle sirens, and loudspeakers. The safety of the rescue space is jointly assessed by a specialized demolition company and experts from the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, and rescue operations will proceed in stages according to the results of these assessments.
On November 6, at the Ulsan Thermal Power Headquarters of Korea East-West Power in Nam-gu, Ulsan, Boiler Tower 5, measuring 25 meters wide, 15.5 meters long, and 63 meters high, collapsed in an instant. As a result, seven out of nine workers present at the site were trapped.
By November 9, fire authorities had recovered the bodies of three out of the seven trapped workers, but due to the risk of further collapse of Towers 4 and 6, which stood 30 meters apart on either side of Unit 5, the use of heavy equipment was restricted, causing significant difficulties in the search. With the successful completion of the blasting of Towers 4 and 6 on this day, the search for the four missing individuals buried under the debris of Unit 5 has resumed in earnest.
Director Kim stated, "We will operate a 24-hour search and rescue system and do our utmost to return those being rescued to their families as quickly as possible."
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