A deadly industrial accident at a thermal power plant in the southeastern city of Ulsan claimed the lives of at least three workers on Thursday, with two others missing and feared dead after a massive boiler tower they were dismantling suddenly collapsed.

The incident occurred when the 60-meter-high (approximately 197 feet) structure gave way, crashing down and trapping workers under a pile of steel wreckage. According to officials, rescue teams successfully recovered the bodies of three deceased workers and managed to pull two injured colleagues to safety.

The search for the two missing individuals was fraught with difficulty. Fire department officials reported that the operation was severely hampered by the precarious instability of the collapse site, with the risk of a further collapse forcing crews to proceed with caution as they used heavy machinery to clear debris.

The Ulsan Metropolitan Government has launched a full-scale investigation into the catastrophe. Early indications suggest the focus will be on whether proper safety protocols were followed during the complex and hazardous dismantling process.

This tragedy has once again cast a spotlight on the persistent issue of industrial safety in South Korea. Labor unions have long sounded the alarm about dangerous working conditions, particularly at demolition sites and for subcontracted laborers who often perform the most high-risk jobs. In the wake of this latest accident, calls are mounting for the government to enforce workplace safety laws more strictly and hold companies accountable for failing to protect their workers' lives. (ILKHA)