Decision Made to Extend Investigation by Two Months for Further Engineering Analysis
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on September 30 that it will extend the investigation period for the ground subsidence accident that occurred in Myeongil-dong, Gangdong-gu, Seoul, last March by two months.
The Underground Accident Investigation Committee has been working to determine the cause of the accident since its inaugural meeting on March 31. The committee has reviewed design documents, work logs, inspection records, and closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage. It has also held 20 committee meetings, conducted 4 on-site inspections, held hearings with relevant parties, carried out drilling at 4 locations, collected samples from 8 sites, and performed three-dimensional geological structure analyses.
After reviewing both direct and indirect factors that could have triggered the accident, the investigation committee determined that further detailed and engineering analyses are required. As a result, it resolved to extend its operation period until November 30.
Previously, on March 24, a major ground subsidence accident occurred at an intersection near Daemyeong Elementary School in Myeongil-dong, resulting in a man in his 30s who was riding a motorcycle being buried and found dead 17 hours later. The road where the subsidence occurred is located above the construction site for Subway Line 9, where tunnel excavation work was underway underground.
Park Injun, chairperson of the accident investigation committee and a professor at Hanseo University, stated, "We will conduct a detailed analysis of factors affecting tunnel stability, such as ground characteristics and construction status, to clearly verify the collapse scenario. We will announce the investigation results and preventive measures as soon as possible."
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