SEOUL, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Three maintenance workers have died in a fire at a wind turbine in Yeongdeok county, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, Yonhap News Agency reported Monday.

A rotor blade falls from a wind turbine after catching fire in Yeongdeok County, North Gyeongsang Province, Monday. (Photo courtesy of Yeongdeok County fire authorities)

The North Gyeongsang Provincial Police Agency announced on Monday that three maintenance workers affiliated with a service company were confirmed dead in the fire. Authorities are currently recovering the bodies.

The blaze broke out at about 1:11 p.m. local time (0411 GMT) at the wind turbine within a wind farm in Yeongdeok county, some 350 km southeast of the capital Seoul, spreading to a nearby mountain.

Police believe that the workers were carrying out maintenance work at the top of the wind turbine when the fire broke out and plan to investigate the exact cause of the accident.