Did hackers kill nuclear staff?
Three South Koreans die after inhaling toxic gas while constructing nuclear power plant for firm targeted by cyber criminals
- Trio working in Ulsan when they fell unconscious and later died in hospital
- Tragedy came days after hackers bragged the control systems of the state-run Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Company’s plants could be disabled
Three South Koreans died yesterday after apparently inhaling toxic gas while constructing a nuclear power plant for a firm targeted by computer hackers.
The tragedy came days after the hackers bragged that the control systems of the state-run Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Company’s plants could be disabled.
The trio were working in the city of Ulsan when they fell unconscious. They later died in hospital.
Three South Koreans died after apparently inhaling toxic gas while constructing a nuclear power plant in Ulsan, pictured
Their employer said there was no reason to link the deaths to the hackers’ threats, which followed the publication online of documents on nuclear facilities and information on staff.
The workers are believed to have been killed by a nitrogen leak. The element is used in power plants to reduce oxygen levels in cooling water, to slow oxidation of equipment or to control pressure levels in tanks.
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The company has yet to determine the cause of the accident, although the leaking of nitrogen was suspected, a company spokeswoman said.
Construction of the plant is scheduled to be completed in June.
Earlier this week, South Korean employees conducted a simulated drill to ensure the safety of nuclear power plants under cyber attacks, at a training center of the Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant
Last week, documents including layouts of nuclear facilities and personal information of nuclear workers were published online.
Local media said the unidentified people who posted images of the stolen nuclear documents imprinted with “WHO AM I?” on a South Korean blog were hackers.
The accident came as the plant was on high alert over the threats by hackers who claim they can disable the control systems of its plants, but the company said that the safety of the country’s nuclear power plants was not affected.
Korea Hydro ran drills on Monday and Tuesday to prepare workers in the event of hacking attacks.
The tragedy came days after the hackers bragged that the control systems of the state-run Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Company’s plants could be disabled
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2888037/Did-hackers-kill-nuclear-staff-Three-South-Koreans-die-inhaling-toxic-gas-constructing-nuclear-power-plant-firm-targeted-cyber-criminals.html#ixzz3N3sZOlqk
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