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
The Gwangju Regional Employment and Labor Office has launched an investigation into the collapse at the Gwangju Metropolitan Library construction site, including whether there were any violations of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.
According to the Gwangju Regional Employment and Labor Office on December 11, one person died and three others were buried at the accident site, prompting an investigation into the construction personnel to determine whether there were violations of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
The Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency has also begun investigating for potential criminal charges, including occupational negligence resulting in death or injury and illegal subcontracting.
The accident site meets all criteria for the application of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, including the number of regular workers and the construction cost.
The Serious Accidents Punishment Act stipulates that employers or management officials are subject to criminal penalties if a major accident, such as a fatality, occurs due to their failure to ensure safety and health obligations.
In public construction sites like this incident, officials from the ordering local government or public institution may also be held accountable depending on their level of responsibility.
If negligence is identified on the part of city officials, this would be the first case involving Gwangju City since the Serious Accidents Punishment Act came into effect in January 2022.
An investigative authority official stated, "Not only those directly involved in construction, supervision, and design, but also relevant personnel from the ordering party will likely be investigated depending on their roles and delegated responsibilities."
The accident occurred at around 1:58 p.m. on December 11, when a steel structure collapsed at the construction site of the Gwangju Metropolitan Library, located on the former Sangmu Incinerator site in Chipyeong-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju. Four local workers from a subcontractor were buried under the structure as a result of the collapse.
One of the buried workers, a 47-year-old man who was rescued in a state of cardiac arrest, was transported to the hospital but was pronounced dead.
Of the remaining three, one was visually located by the fire rescue team but showed no signs of life.
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