Collapse of Exterior Wall at Gwangju Hwajeong I-Park New Construction Site... "6 People Missing Contact" (Comprehensive)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] An accident occurred at the construction site of a high-rise residential-commercial complex apartment in Gwangju, where an exterior wall collapsed. So far, three workers have been rescued, but six remain uncontactable.

According to the police and Gwangju Fire Headquarters on the 11th, at around 3:46 PM, a report was received by the fire authorities that the exterior wall of an apartment at the Hwajeong Hyundai I-Park construction site in Hwajeong-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju, had collapsed.

Two workers were trapped in a nearby container after debris fell on them but were rescued, and one worker was hit by debris on the first floor and was taken to the hospital. The fallen debris also covered about ten parked cars nearby. Workers who were on the top floor for concrete pouring at the time of the accident were confirmed to be unharmed.

After the police and fire authorities, along with the construction company, checked the status of all 394 workers (from 22 companies) at the site, it was found that the six uncontactable workers' mobile phone locations were detected around the construction site. It is presumed that they were working on window installation and other tasks on the 28th to 31st floors of the building where the exterior wall and structure collapsed.

The accident occurred when the exterior walls on both sides from the 23rd to 34th floors collapsed during concrete pouring on the 39th floor rooftop. Authorities believe the accident happened due to the collapse of the formwork (Gangform) used for concrete pouring and damage to the tower crane support (Wall Tie). The Hwajeong Hyundai I-Park under construction consists of seven buildings with four basement floors and 39 above-ground floors, totaling 847 households, located at 23-27 Hwajeong-dong. The construction company at this site is HDC Hyundai Development Company, which was also the contractor for the Hakdong 4 District redevelopment site where a building collapse disaster occurred during demolition work in June last year.

Power and Water Cut, Evacuation Order for Nearby Residents
Concerns Over Additional Collapse at Gwangju Site; Work Suspended

According to Seo-gu, Gwangju, immediately after the accident, power and water supply were cut off, and evacuation orders were issued for 109 households and about 90 commercial units in the nearby residential-commercial complex due to concerns about further accidents. Initially, evacuation orders were issued for hundreds of households in other apartments, but these were canceled considering the restoration of power and water supply. Residents of the affected complex reportedly arranged temporary accommodations with relatives or acquaintances or stayed at lodging facilities.

The police and fire authorities suspended the search for missing persons due to the risk of the 140-meter-high tower crane collapsing or additional debris falling from the exterior wall. Authorities plan to conduct a safety inspection on the morning of the 12th and then decide whether to deploy rescue personnel.

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum instructed, regarding the exterior wall collapse accident, to "quickly identify the whereabouts of workers whose safety has not been confirmed at the construction site." He also ordered the Ministers of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to take measures to ensure the safety of rescue workers and nearby residents to prevent further damage. He emphasized conducting thorough safety inspections at construction sites and taking all possible measures to minimize damage.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced the formation of a Central Industrial Accident Response Headquarters to handle the accident response and investigate the cause. The Gwangju Regional Employment and Labor Office and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency have been dispatched to the accident site and are working with the police and related agencies to ascertain the circumstances of the accident.

Although the disaster occurred during the demolition process by a subcontractor, the prosecution is also indicting the main contractor for poor demolition practices and construction contract irregularities, and trials of the related parties are ongoing.

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