On the afternoon of the 11th, nighttime rescue operations are underway at the collapse site of the Gwangju Representative Library construction in Seo-gu, Gwangju. Photo by Yonhap News
The police have launched an investigation to determine the cause and responsibility for the collapse at the Gwangju Representative Library construction site, which resulted in the deaths of two construction workers and left two others buried (missing).
On December 12, the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency began a full-scale investigation, led by a dedicated task force, by securing relevant materials and conducting legal reviews.
The main units of the task force, including the Criminal Investigation Unit and the Serious Accident Investigation Team, have secured key documents from the construction company and other related entities. The police also plan to initiate compulsory measures, such as executing search and seizure warrants, at an appropriate time.
As the search for the missing workers continues at the site on the second day since the accident, the police intend to adjust the timing of any legal action against those involved in the construction project.
Given that concerns have been raised about poor construction at the steel structure joints as a major cause of the accident, the police plan to focus on whether the construction was carried out in compliance with legal standards.
They will also investigate whether there was any bid-rigging during the selection of the company that owns the patented construction method used for the unique exterior design.
All of the construction workers who lost their lives in the accident were employed by subcontractors, so the investigation will also look into whether illegal re-subcontracting, which is widespread at construction sites, occurred in this case.
The police are discussing with prosecutors the possibility of waiving autopsies for the two victims who were recovered from the debris, as the cause of death is clearly an industrial accident.
A police official stated, "We will conduct a swift and thorough investigation to ensure that no questions remain unanswered."
The accident occurred at 1:58 p.m. on the previous day, when the steel structure collapsed during concrete pouring at the construction site of the Gwangju Representative Library, located on the site of the former Sangmu Incineration Plant (waste treatment facility) in Chipyeong-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju.
A plasterer in his 40s and a rebar worker in his 70s were killed after being buried under the debris, while a plumber in his 50s and another rebar worker in his 60s remain missing, with their conditions still unknown.
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