9 Dead as Parked Bus Crushed by Building Collapse in Gwangju... Growing Casualties

Collapse During Demolition of 5-Story Commercial Building
17 Buried... 9 Dead, 8 Seriously Injured

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Nine people have died in the collapse of a five-story commercial building in Hakdong, Dong-gu, Gwangju. The number of casualties is increasing as rescue operations continue.

According to the Gwangju Fire Headquarters on the 9th, as of 8:20 PM, there have been 17 casualties. Initially, it was estimated that 12 people were buried, and rescue operations began, but additional buried victims were discovered.

So far, the confirmed buried victims are 17 city bus passengers, of whom nine have died. The bus body was crushed under the building debris, and the buried victims were rescued through the front windshield opening.

The first buried victim rescued after 7 PM was declared dead, and the subsequently found buried victims were transported to the hospital in cardiac arrest but died. Five people rescued after 8 PM were found deceased.

Seventeen people were buried in the collapse of a five-story building in Hakdong, Dong-gu, Gwangju, and nine of them died. (Photo by Hyun Snap)

The fire and rescue authorities are checking whether there are additional buried victims besides the city bus passengers. Since the accident area is wide and the debris is heavy and large, it is expected to take considerable time to assess the full extent of the damage.

The collapse accident occurred around 4:22 PM during the building demolition process. A city bus stopped at the bus stop in front of the building was buried under the building debris, trapping the bus passengers.

It has been confirmed that there were no other pedestrians on the street at the time of the collapse. The workers conducting the demolition inside the building sensed abnormal signs and evacuated outside.