Worker Dies in Earth Collapse at Construction Site... Prosecution Charges Construction Company CEO

The CEO of a construction company and the site manager have been brought to trial on charges of violating the Serious Accidents Punishment Act in connection with an accident in which a worker in his 60s was buried in soil and died during military base facility construction.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Criminal Division 5 of the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Jeong-hoon) announced on the 2nd that they have indicted Construction Company A, along with its CEO Mr. B and site manager Mr. C, without detention on charges of violating the Serious Accidents Punishment Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

Worker Mr. D (61) was buried under collapsed soil while installing a sewage pipeline at a military base construction site in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, where Construction Company A was in charge of the project, at around 4:10 p.m. on November 17, 2022. Mr. D was rescued and transported to a hospital but died.

The prosecution determined that when laying the sewage pipeline, excavation should have been done at a gentle slope to prevent soil from collapsing, but instead, vertical excavation was carried out. During this process, the construction company failed to take necessary safety measures, resulting in the worker's death.