{
  "id": 17165740,
  "title": "Excessive cutting of support columns blamed for deadly Ulsan power plant collapse",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/excessive-cutting-of-support-columns-blamed-for-deadly-ulsan-power-17165740",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-30T03:07:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/20261030/excessive-cutting-of-support-columns-blamed-for-deadly-ulsan-power-plant-collapse"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "An investigation into the deadly collapse of a boiler tower at the Ulsan Thermal Power Plant last November has revealed that excessive cutting of support columns was the primary cause, according to the final report released by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The boiler tower, standing at 63.4 meters tall, fell during demolition preparations at Unit 5 of the plant, located approximately 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, resulting in the tragic deaths of seven workers and injuries to two others.\n\nThe investigation committee discovered that an improper structural assessment led to the removal of too many support columns. This oversite left the remaining columns unable to bear the weight of the upper structure, ultimately causing the tower to collapse. In order to avert similar disasters in the future, the committee recommended implementing more stringent on-site inspections, establishing new technical standards specifically for demolition work, and enhancing oversight of high-risk demolition projects.",
  "summary": "The deadly collapse of a boiler tower at a power plant in Ulsan last November was caused by excessive cutting of support columns ahead of its planned demolition by explosives, according to a probe result released Friday. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport released the findings of an investigation committee into the deadly accident at the Ulsan Thermal Power Plant, about 300…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yonhap News",
        "title": "Excessive cutting of support columns blamed for deadly Ulsan power plant collapse",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/excessive-cutting-of-support-columns-blamed-for-deadly-ulsan-power-17164843",
        "published": "2026-10-30T01:58:13.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}