The government decided to dismantle Units 4 and 6, which sit on either side of the collapsed Ulsan Thermal Power Plant boiler tower Unit 5, to prevent additional collapse. No additional survivors have been found 75 hours after the collapse.
Kim Young-hoon, Minister of the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) and co-head of the Central Accident Management Headquarters, said this at a briefing at the back gate of the Ulsan Thermal Power Plant on Feb. 9 in the afternoon. Of the seven people buried by the accident that occurred on the 6th, the bodies of three have been recovered. Two presumed dead and two missing are still buried.
Minister Kim said, "As 75 hours have passed since the Ulsan Thermal Power Plant collapse, we have not been able to rescue additional survivors, and as the person responsible for managing the accident response, I am sorry to the families and the public." He added, "Despite various risk factors, the fire authorities have fought to rescue those buried and have worked to save them," and "There were complex factors behind the accident, which is why there are many difficulties in the rescue process."
Minister Kim also explained, "In particular, Units 4 and 6, which pose a risk of additional collapse, are located to the left and right of the collapsed boiler tower Unit 5, making it difficult to deploy large-scale equipment," and "To find an effective method for safe and swift rescue, we consulted with the fire authorities and experts. As we have no choice but to remove risk factors while carrying out rescue operations in parallel, we decided to dismantle Units 4 and 6." He continued, "We are discussing and deliberating with experts on how blasting, dismantling, and rescue will proceed in parallel, and we will place the emphasis on preventing any additional accidents in this process."
The Central Accident Management Headquarters plans to complete preemptive measures in cooperation with private-sector experts such as Hyundai Heavy Industries. Regarding the specific blasting method, Minister Kim explained, "Based on technical and structural diagnostics, dismantling Units 4 and 6 simultaneously is judged to be the most effective, but because there are risk factors, we will deliberate until the end." As for the blasting schedule, he said, "We have not specified it yet," and added, "We will report to the public when we determine that the pre-safety measures have been completed."
Minister Kim also emphasized, "In line with the president's directive that 'the whole nation must step up to save the life of each citizen,' all ministries, private-sector experts, victims' families, local governments, and local lawmakers are united in the rescue efforts," adding, "We will do our utmost to ensure a safe and swift rescue."