Five remain trapped after collapse at South Korea power plant, fire official says

Footage showed a massive steel structure mangled and toppled in Ulsan, surrounded by similar frameworks

Authorities in South Korea fear five people remain trapped on Thursday after the collapse of a large structure at a power station in the city of Ulsan, a fire official said, although four others were pulled from the rubble.

Footage from the scene showed a massive steel structure mangled and toppled over in the southeastern city, surrounded by similar frameworks.

Fire official Kim Jung-shik told reporters that workers were in the process of taking down parts of the structure — a decommissioned heating facility — to prepare it for demolition in about 10 days when the accident occurred.

Two people were quickly rescued and then two others were pulled from the rubble, Kim said. A rescue operation was ongoing, he added.