Gwangju Building Collapse Mirrors Seoul Accident from 2 Years Ago: "Fundamental Measures Urgently Needed"

July 2019 Jamwon-dong 5-Story Building Collapse Causes 4 Casualties

At around 4:20 PM on the 9th, a five-story building under demolition in the redevelopment area of Hakdong, Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, collapsed and crushed a city bus passing by on the road. Fire authorities are conducting rescue operations. Photo by a reader

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] In Gwangju Metropolitan City, a five-story building under demolition in a redevelopment area collapsed onto a city bus, resulting in 17 casualties. The construction industry is pointing out the need for fundamental measures.

They argue that the accident closely resembles the five-story building collapse that occurred in Seoul two years ago, highlighting the urgent need to strengthen safety measures.

On July 4, 2019, at around 2:20 p.m., a building with one basement floor and five above-ground floors in Jamwon-dong, Seoul, collapsed during demolition.

The collapse occurred as the building's support beams were damaged, causing approximately 30 tons of the exterior wall to fall outside the construction zone.

Four vehicles were crushed under the debris, resulting in one death and three injuries.

Among the injured and the deceased was a couple who were scheduled to marry the following year; they were reportedly on their way to retrieve their wedding rings when the tragedy occurred, adding to the sorrow of those around them.

About two years later, on June 9, 2021, a similar accident happened in Gwangju Metropolitan City.

In the redevelopment area of Hak-dong, Dong-gu, a five-story building under demolition collapsed and struck a city bus that was stopped at a bus stop on the road directly in front.

Of the estimated 17 people on the bus, nine died and eight were seriously injured.

The accident occurred during the demolition of the top floor of the five-story building. Workers had piled soil next to the building and placed an excavator on top to carry out the demolition. When they heard strange noises, the workers immediately evacuated, and shortly after, the building collapsed.

As similar accidents have occurred consecutively, the construction industry views these as man-made disasters caused by safety negligence.

A Mr. A, who has been in the construction industry for over 20 years, said, "Demolishing a five-story building is not a difficult task; in this industry, it is considered an easy job," adding, "This appears to be a typical accident caused by safety negligence."

He continued, "Although investigative authorities will conduct a thorough investigation, based on the circumstances revealed so far, it seems there were problems during the demolition process," and pointed out, "Even though the demolition was taking place by the roadside, it appears that the surrounding roads were not properly controlled."

He added, "A building does not collapse due to just one mistake," emphasizing, "This tragedy occurred because multiple errors overlapped."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.