An accident occurred at the construction site of the Gwangju Representative Library, currently being built on the site of the former Sangmu Incineration Plant, where a steel structure collapsed.
The scene of the collapse that started on the rooftop floor, where the rebar and formwork structure fell downwards. Debris of the structure and bent rebar remain as they are. Photo by Song Bohyun
According to the Gwangju Fire Department, at approximately 1:58 p.m. on December 11, a report was received that a steel structure had collapsed on the second-floor rooftop of the Gwangju Representative Library construction site in Chipyeong-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju. At the time, 97 workers were on site, and it is understood that four of them were trapped. All those trapped were confirmed to be workers from subcontractor companies.
Plasterer A (age 47), who was working on the rooftop, was rescued and transported to the hospital but was pronounced dead. The remaining three are two rebar workers and one plumber. The location of one of them has been identified, and rescue operations are underway. However, the whereabouts of the other two have not been determined, making the search difficult. The rescue is particularly challenging because heavy steel frame structures must be lifted by crane at the site.
On the 11th, at the construction site of Gwangju Representative Library in Seo-gu, Gwangju, a steel frame structure collapsed, and rescue teams are conducting operations to save trapped workers. Photo by Yonhap News
The collapse is believed to have started on the second-floor rooftop while concrete was being poured. The structure connects buildings, with a span of approximately 48 meters between columns and a width of about 20 meters. It is reported that the collapse cascaded from the second-floor rooftop down to the basement levels. It was found that no supports, such as shoring to bear the load, were installed during construction. A site official explained, "A patented construction method that allows building without supports was applied."
The fire authorities issued a Level 1 emergency response and mobilized all available personnel, including special rescue teams, to carry out rescue operations for the trapped workers.
The Gwangju Representative Library is a project with a total budget of 51.6 billion won, consisting of two basement floors and two above-ground floors, with a total floor area of about 11,000 square meters. It is planned as a complex cultural space equipped with a storage room, resource reading rooms, cultural and educational facilities, and a fitness center. Construction began in September 2022, but due to delays such as the bankruptcy of the construction company, the planned opening at the end of this year was canceled. Gueil General Construction resumed work in September, and the project is now 73% complete, with the goal of finishing by April next year.
The police and fire authorities plan to investigate the exact cause of the accident as soon as the rescue operations are completed.
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