ISTANBUL

South Korean authorities on Tuesday blew up two boiler towers at a thermal power plant to help locate four missing workers trapped under a third tower that collapsed last week, according to local media.

Yonhap News reported that towers No. 4 and No. 6 were demolished as they had obstructed search and rescue operations.

Tower No. 5 at the power plant collapsed last Thursday, trapping seven workers. Authorities have recovered three bodies so far, while four others remain missing. Rescue teams have located two of the bodies, and search operations for the remaining two continue.

Officials said around 70 people will be sent inside the rubble to search for the missing, with cranes and other heavy equipment aiding the operation.

The government said the controlled explosion was necessary to clear the way for rescuers to safely enter the debris.