ISTANBUL

South Korea on Thursday continued search and rescue efforts for five missing persons after a boiler tower collapsed at the thermal power plant in the southeastern city of Ulsan.

Nine people, believed to be subcontractor employees, were trapped after a boiler collapsed at the Ulsan branch of Korea East-West Power, a state-run utility. Two of them were rescued successfully, while the rest of the group remained trapped, according to Yonhap News.

The two rescued workers were not in life-threatening condition.

Two of the seven trapped people were located after firefighters dug through gravel and dirt to gain access.

The search efforts continue for the remaining five workers who are still trapped.

"We are making efforts to pull out the trapped individuals who have been found and are considering lifting or dismantling the collapsed structure to quickly locate the remaining people," a firefighting official said.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung ordered equipment and personnel to be mobilized for rescue efforts, according to his spokesman Kim Nam-jun.

The collapsed 60-meter (196.8 feet) tower was reportedly in the process of being dismantled using explosives.