The death toll from the boiler tower collapse at a thermal power plant in the southeastern city of Ulsan has risen to three. 

Fire authorities said in a briefing on Friday that two workers rescued earlier in the day had since been confirmed dead, one at a hospital and the other at the scene.

Another worker who had been trapped in the debris was pronounced dead at 4:53 a.m. despite hours of rescue efforts.  

As of noon Friday, two additional workers had been located beneath the debris and are being recovered, but are presumed dead.
 
Two remaining missing workers have yet to be located in the rubble, and two have been successfully rescued and are now in stable condition.

The 60-meter-high boiler tower at the plant, managed by the Ulsan branch of the state-run Korea East-West Power Company, collapsed around 2 p.m. Thursday, trapping nine workers.