Warm 'Hands of Compassion' Continue at the Site of the 'Gwangju Apartment Collapse'

Jaseongsa Delivers 300 Servings of Sticky Rice to Rescue Workers and Victims' Families

Anonymous Citizens and Various Sectors Continue Donations... Citizens from Other Regions Also Participate

At around 3 p.m. on the 28th, 300 servings of glutinous rice and individually packaged fruits were delivered to the rescue authorities at a temple located in Seo-gu, Gwangju.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Cho Hyung-joo] On the 18th day since the collapse accident at the newly constructed apartment in Gwangju, being built by Hyundai Development Company, at around 3 p.m. on the 28th, a white Styrofoam box carefully tied with string and a fruit box containing individually wrapped bananas and oranges arrived at the accident site. The Styrofoam box contained 300 servings of glutinous rice.

These items were prepared by Jaseongsa Temple, located in Hwajeong-dong, Seo-gu, for the rescue workers and support personnel who are fully committed to searching for the missing, as well as for the victims' families.

Volunteers at the site unloaded the boxes from the vehicle and carried them while exchanging words of gratitude.

Monk Ilju said, "I am worried about the victims' families who are enduring this cold and staying at the site, and since this is the only way I can express my feelings, I wanted to help," adding, "Next time, I plan to provide even more support without any shortcomings."

The tent where the glutinous rice and fruit brought in that day were placed was filled with water, ramen, and other items. Most of these were heartfelt contributions from various sectors to support the rescue authorities and victims' families.

Since the collapse accident occurred on the 11th, this stream of donations has continued without a single day of interruption from the following day.

Volunteer organizations, residents' councils, companies, and institutions alike have been sending snacks and supplies to encourage those involved.

So far, the Disaster Relief Association has sent boxes of ramen and snacks, the stationery wholesale market has provided wool gloves, and the market merchants' association has sent 15 chickens, extending helping hands.

There were also elementary school students who delivered chocolates and yogurt, a female student who donated four boxes of cup noodles, and an anonymous donor who sent 15 pizzas.

This warm-hearted support has continued even from regions outside Gwangju. A citizen residing in Dalseong-gu, Daegu, also provided snacks worth about 1 million won.

Prospective residents of I-Park have been regularly delivering hot packs, bottled water, and rice cake soup to comfort the families of the missing.

A representative from the Seo-gu Integrated Recovery Headquarters said, "Seeing these supportive items arriving every day makes me think that our country is still a livable place," adding, "I hope the rescue workers and victims' families stay strong so that the accident recovery can be completed as soon as possible."

Meanwhile, on the 11th, part of the 23rd to 38th floors of a 39-story building under construction at Hwajeong I-Park construction site in Hwajeong-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju, collapsed, injuring one person and leaving six workers missing.

On the 14th, one person was recovered deceased, and two others had some body parts found but remain trapped under debris. The whereabouts of the remaining three are still unknown.