[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] The police are accelerating the investigation into the collapse accident at the Hwajeong I-Park new apartment complex, which is being constructed by Hyundai Development Company.
The Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency's Collapse Accident Investigation Headquarters announced on the 17th that they have additionally booked nine people related to the accident.
These include six Hyundai Development Company employees and other related personnel, as well as three construction supervisors and related workers. They are suspected of violating the Building Act and professional negligence resulting in death.
The police believe that the Hyundai Development Company personnel are responsible for the accident that caused casualties, and the supervisors are suspected of failing to properly manage and supervise, including not being present at the site during the accident.
Additionally, the first person booked, Hyundai Development Company site manager Mr. A, has been charged with professional negligence resulting in death in addition to the existing Building Act violation charges. This additional charge was applied following the recovery of one of the six missing persons in a deceased state.
The police are also speeding up investigations into subcontractors and others involved.
Earlier that day, the police conducted raids on 10 companies that supplied concrete to the apartment construction site and are checking whether there were any defects in the supplied materials.
Furthermore, the previous day, they raided three subcontractors, the Hyundai Development Company site office, and the supervisors' office to secure evidence.
Meanwhile, on the afternoon of the 11th at 3:46 PM, the exterior wall of floors 23 to 38 of Building 201 at Hwajeong-dong I-Park in Gwangju, being constructed by Hyundai Development Company, collapsed.
As a result of this accident, one person sustained minor injuries and was transported to a hospital, and six people went missing. Among the missing, one person was found deceased near the basement level 1 stairs on the afternoon of the 14th, four days after the accident, and search operations are ongoing to find the other five.
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