Partial Damage to Top Floor, No Casualties
Dismantling Work Begins After Investigation
An accident occurred at the Indeokwon-Dongtan double-track railway construction site when a large piece of construction equipment, a drilling rig, toppled over and struck a nearby apartment building. There were no casualties, but approximately 150 apartment residents had to be urgently evacuated.
On the 6th, at the construction site of the Indeogwon-Dongtan double-track railway in Seocheon-dong, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, a heavy machine, a drilling rig (construction equipment that drills the ground), toppled over and leaned against the wall of a nearby apartment building. Photo by Yonhap News
According to police and other authorities, at 10:13 p.m. on June 5, emergency services received a report that a "large piece of heavy equipment" had struck Building A of an apartment complex in Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do. Firefighters and police were immediately dispatched to the scene. The drilling rig, which weighs 70.8 tons and is 44 meters long, was precariously leaning against the apartment wall. The impact damaged part of the exterior wall and some balcony windows on the 15th floor.
This drilling rig had been stationed at the site for Section 10 of the Indeokwon-Dongtan double-track railway subgrade construction project and was reportedly on standby after work was completed on May 31. The project is being carried out by DL Construction, with the Korea National Railway as the client. The construction period is from December 2023 to November 2028.
The affected apartment building has 15 floors above ground and houses a total of 60 households. Immediately after the accident, the apartment management office broadcast an evacuation order, and about 150 residents evacuated the building. Among them, two people were taken to the hospital due to shock and noise, but no physical injuries were reported. The evacuated residents secured temporary accommodations at nearby hotels and other locations.
On the 6th, at the Indeokwon~Dongtan double-track railway construction site in Seocheon-dong, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, a heavy machine, a drilling rig (construction equipment that drills the ground), toppled over and leaned against the wall of a nearby apartment building. Photo by Yonhap News.
Restoration work began immediately at the scene. Starting in the morning of June 6, three large cranes with capacities of 170 tons, 500 tons, and 700 tons were deployed to dismantle the drilling rig. Authorities first stabilized the structure to prevent secondary accidents before commencing full-scale removal work. The entire operation is expected to take approximately 5 to 7 hours.
The police are investigating the exact cause of the accident, noting that no construction work had taken place at Section 10 of the Indeokwon-Dongtan double-track railway since May 31. The investigation will include securing witness statements and analyzing CCTV footage from the site to determine the precise cause.
Although this accident fortunately resulted in no casualties, concerns are growing about the management of large construction equipment near residential areas and the adequacy of safety measures at construction sites.
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