Ulsan: South Korea on Thursday continued search and rescue efforts for five missing persons after a boiler tower collapsed at the thermal power plant in the southeastern city of Ulsan. Nine people, believed to be subcontractor employees, were trapped after a boiler collapsed at the Ulsan branch of Korea East-West Power, a state-run utility.

According to Anadolu Agency, two of the trapped individuals were successfully rescued and are not in life-threatening condition. Meanwhile, efforts are ongoing to locate and rescue the remaining five workers. Two of the seven trapped people were located after firefighters dug through gravel and dirt to gain access.

The search efforts continue for the remaining five workers who are still trapped. A firefighting official mentioned, "We are making efforts to pull out the trapped individuals who have been found and are considering lifting or dismantling the collapsed structure to quickly locate the remaining people."

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has ordered the mobilization of equipment and personnel to assist in the rescue operations, as stated by his spokesman, Kim Nam-jun. The collapse occurred as the 60-meter (196.8 feet) tower was reportedly in the process of being dismantled using explosives.