(LEAD) 1 dead, 2 missing in wind turbine fire in eastern coastal county

▲ A wind turbine blade falls after catching fire in Yeongdeok County, about 240 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on March 23, 2026, in this photo provided by a reader. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ Fire fighting helicopters drop water over a fire that broke out at a wind turbine site in Yeongdeok County, about 240 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on March 23, 2026, in this photo provided by a reader. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

(LEAD) wind turbine-fire

(LEAD) 1 dead, 2 missing in wind turbine fire in eastern coastal county

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with details; RECASTS lead, headline; CHANGES photos)

YEONGDEOK, South Korea, March 23 (Yonhap) -- A fire broke out at a wind turbine in the eastern coastal county of Yeongdeok on Monday, leaving one worker dead and two others missing, authorities said.

The blaze began at around 1:11 p.m. at the turbine inside a wind power complex in the county, about 240 kilometers southeast of Seoul, according to local fire authorities.

An employee of a wind turbine company died in the blaze, while two others remain unreachable. All three were reportedly on duty at the turbine site when the fire broke out.

A police official said the two are believed to be inside the turbine.

Firefighters are experiencing difficulties in entering the structure as the fire has yet to be fully contained. Two of the turbine's three blades caught fire and fell to the ground.

Authorities have deployed 11 helicopters and 148 personnel to put out the blaze, which has spread to a surrounding hill. Around 70 percent of the fire has been contained.

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