Minister of Employment as Head... First Meeting Tomorrow in Gwangju
Ministry of the Interior and Safety to Provide Special Disaster Safety Grants to Gwangju City
On the morning of the 21st, a 1,200-ton mobile crane was dismantling the tower crane at the Hwajeong I-Park collapse site in Seo-gu, Gwangju. (Image source=Yonhap News)
[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The government announced on the 23rd that it will operate a Central Accident Response Headquarters regarding the collapse accident at an apartment construction site in Gwangju.
According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the Central Accident Response Headquarters is composed of related agencies including the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and the National Fire Agency. Minister Ahn Kyung-duk of the Ministry of Employment and Labor will serve as the head of the headquarters.
The headquarters will comprehensively support the search for missing workers, on-site response, and victim assistance. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety will allocate special disaster safety grants to Gwangju City to cover costs related to search and rescue activities.
The National Fire Agency will form a Central Emergency Rescue Control Team and mobilize rescue personnel nationwide once a safe search environment is established. The Construction Accident Response Headquarters operated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will be incorporated into the Central Accident Response Headquarters and will oversee safety inspections of buildings and structures as well as on-site response reviews.
The Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety will oversee psychological counseling and relief activities for families of the missing and evacuees from nearby buildings.
The Central Accident Response Headquarters will hold its first meeting near the accident site at 3 p.m. on the 24th to receive reports from related agencies on search and rescue activities, tower crane removal, stabilization of the collapsed building, and support for families of the missing, and to discuss plans for supporting search and rescue operations.
The formation of the headquarters follows President Moon Jae-in’s directive. Earlier, on the 22nd, President Moon instructed, regarding the Gwangju accident, "Strengthen government support further and, in consultation with local governments, devise a plan for the government to take a leading role throughout the accident response process."
Minister Ahn, who heads the headquarters, said, "Once the tower crane stabilization work is completed today, securing the stability of the collapsed building is important," adding, "Going forward, the Central Accident Response Headquarters will actively work with the Gwangju Regional Disaster Countermeasures Headquarters to conduct swift and safe search and rescue operations."
On the 11th, part of the 38th to 23rd floors of a 39-story building under construction at Hwajeong I-Park in Hwajeong-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju, collapsed, injuring one person and leaving six workers missing.
On the 14th, one person was recovered deceased, and search efforts for five others are ongoing.
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