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Rescue workers search the rubble of a collapsed 60-meter boiler tower at Korea East-West Power’s Ulsan thermal power plant on November 7, after one trapped worker was confirmed dead and another presumed dead. / Source: Yonhap News

One of the seven workers trapped under debris from the boiler tower collapse at Korea East-West Power’s Ulsan thermal power plant has died, and another is presumed dead, authorities said Friday. The remaining five workers are still missing, with their exact locations yet to be determined.

At a dawn briefing on November 7, Kim Jeong-sik, head of the fire prevention and safety division at Ulsan’s Nam-gu Fire Station, said, “The previously conscious rescue target, a 44-year-old man, went into cardiac arrest during the rescue operation and was pronounced dead at 4:53 a.m.”

According to fire officials, the deceased was found about an hour after the collapse, with his arm trapped between the structure and the ground. Though the exact cause of death remains unconfirmed, medical advisors cited possible causes including septic embolism from thrombosis, electrolyte imbalance, and internal bleeding caused by abdominal or thoracic trauma.

Rescue workers made more than a dozen direct attempts to reach him. “Paramedics administered pain relief and provided thermal protection on site, but ultimately he did not survive,” Kim said.

Authorities believe another worker found near the first victim is also likely dead. His identity has not yet been confirmed.

Overnight, rescuers found what appeared to be a severed finger among the rubble. Officials said it likely belonged to a different individual but added that identification had not yet been confirmed.

Efforts to locate the remaining five workers have been hampered by blocked access points filled with rebar and debris, requiring rescuers to dig more than 30 meters into unstable terrain.

Following confirmation of the first death, the only worker who had shown signs of life earlier, rescue crews temporarily withdrew due to the high risk of secondary collapse.

Fire authorities are continuing the search using acoustic detectors, thermal imaging cameras, endoscopes, and rescue dogs, while also assessing the stability of neighboring Unit 4 and Unit 6 boiler towers, which now pose additional collapse risks.

“We need to stabilize the structure with small cranes, but even that carries vibration risks,” Kim said. “We will consult structural experts and decide on the next steps for the rescue operation.”

He added, “Now that daylight has returned, we plan to accelerate search and rescue efforts.”

The accident occurred at 2:02 p.m. on November 6, when a 60-meter-high boiler tower undergoing demolition collapsed, trapping nine workers. Two were rescued shortly after the collapse, both seriously injured.