On December 11, a structural collapse occurred at the construction site of the Gwangju Representative Library, resulting in two deaths and two people being buried under the debris. Rescue authorities are conducting operations to locate and rescue the two missing individuals, but are facing difficulties as their exact locations have not yet been identified.
According to the Gwangju Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on December 12, rescue teams conducted an overnight search to locate the missing workers immediately after the accident the previous day. However, they were unable to find any clues that could help determine their whereabouts.
Authorities believe the collapse began during the concrete pouring process for the second-floor roof (rooftop) and triggered a chain collapse down to the basement levels, burying the workers in the process. Considering the risk of further collapse, authorities are stabilizing the site and removing or cutting away debris while deploying advanced equipment such as thermal imaging cameras to help locate the missing individuals.
The collapse at the Gwangju Representative Library construction site occurred at approximately 1:58 p.m. the previous day, during a concrete pouring operation at the former Sangmu Incineration Plant site in Chipyeong-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju. Four workers were buried when the steel structure on the second floor collapsed.
The rescue team conducted the first rescue at 2:52 p.m., pulling one person from the concrete debris and transporting them to a nearby hospital, but the individual was pronounced dead. At 8:13 p.m., another worker was rescued, but also did not survive. Authorities are now focusing all efforts on searching for the remaining two missing individuals.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
