Only Exterior Wall Bricks Collapse
Likely Due to Strength Loss from Aging
The exterior wall of a multi-family house in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, which recently showed signs of bulging and led to the evacuation of residents, has collapsed.
On the 21st, the exterior wall of a multi-family house in Jangan District, Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, showed signs of bulging. Photo by Yonhap News
According to the Gyeonggi Province Fire and Disaster Headquarters and other sources on May 26, a report was received at 5:57 a.m. that the exterior wall of a multi-family house in Songjuk-dong, Jangan District, Suwon, had collapsed.
The collapsed section consisted of the bricks used as finishing material on the building's exterior wall. The concrete structure that forms the building's framework did not collapse.
The fallen bricks poured into a safety net that Suwon City had installed on May 22 in preparation for a possible collapse.
Upon receiving the report, the fire authorities deployed five pieces of equipment and 15 firefighters to take safety measures.
No casualties were reported as a result of the incident.
The building, which was completed in 1990, is a four-story structure including a semi-basement, and currently houses eight households with a total of ten residents. When concerns arose over a potential collapse due to the bulging exterior wall, all residents evacuated the building after calling 119 at 6:13 p.m. the previous day.
Suwon City also instructed residents of a neighboring multi-family house, which is attached directly to the bulging exterior wall, to evacuate. As a result, a total of 12 households and 17 people relocated from the previous day to accommodations provided by Suwon City, such as a youth hostel or the homes of acquaintances.
A detailed safety inspection conducted on May 21 by Suwon City, the Korea Infrastructure Safety and Technology Corporation, and a safety inspection company found no particular issues with the building itself.
Suwon City and other authorities believe that the abnormality in the exterior wall was caused by a decrease in strength due to the aging of the metal fixtures connecting the wall and the exterior bricks.
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