Collapse of Building Under Demolition in Gwangju, Search Inside Buried Bus Concludes

9 Passengers Confirmed Dead, 8 Seriously Injured, Total 17 Confirmed

Search Underway Considering Possible Additional Victims Outside Bus

A five-story building under demolition in the redevelopment area of Hakdong, Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City collapsed, covering a city bus passing by on the road. Fire authorities are conducting rescue operations. Photo by Reader Provided

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] The search inside a city bus that was buried when a five-story building in a redevelopment area of Gwangju collapsed during demolition has ended. Nine people died, and eight were seriously injured and transported to the hospital.

According to the fire authorities on the 9th, at around 4:20 PM that day, a building under demolition in a redevelopment area in Hakdong, Dong-gu, Gwangju, collapsed, completely burying a city bus on the road.

Initially, based on witness statements, the fire authorities reported that there were 12 passengers on the bus and began rescue operations, but as the search progressed, the scale of the damage increased.

The fire authorities have completed the search inside the bus but are continuing the search considering the possibility of additional victims due to the wide collapse area.

A passenger car initially presumed to have been buried along with the bus reportedly avoided the disaster by stopping just before the collapse.

As the building collapsed, the temporary scaffolding surrounding the site also fell, burying half of the seven-lane road in debris and soil. The impact was significant enough to shatter the glass at the bus stop on the opposite side of the road.

The demolition work was carried out starting from the top floor of the five-story building, demolishing one floor at a time downward.

Workers conducting the demolition reportedly evacuated immediately after noticing abnormal signs such as sounds just before the collapse.

Soon after, the building collapsed, covering the bus and causing a major disaster.

The Gwangju Police Agency has formed a dedicated investigation team led by the head of the criminal division regarding this accident. On the afternoon of the 10th, the investigation team will conduct a joint inspection with the National Forensic Service.

Through the joint inspection, they plan to conduct a thorough investigation into whether safety regulations were followed during the demolition process and whether there was any negligence.