‘Adding Insult to Injury’ Equipment Malfunction... Rescue Delayed for Missing Person on 4th Day of Accident

Longbom Equipment Deployed for Dawn Debris Removal Severely Damaged Beyond Repair

Fire Department Suggests Using Alternative Equipment... Installation Challenged by Ground Stability Issues

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Search and rescue efforts for the missing at the collapse site of the Hyundai Development Company apartment construction in Seo-gu, Gwangju are facing difficulties.

To make matters worse, the equipment for removing debris has broken down, causing significant delays in rescuing one missing person whose location has been identified.

Moon Hee-jun, head of the Seo-gu Emergency Rescue Control Team, and Min Sung-woo, Safety Management Director at HDC Hyundai Development Company, held a briefing at the collapse site on the 14th, stating, “The rescue operation is delayed due to equipment problems.”

The rescue team was initially using a long-armed, 23-meter-long claw-type equipment called a long boom to clear the collapsed debris while conducting rescue operations.

However, during nighttime work early that morning, the hydraulic part of the equipment burst, causing damage beyond repair.

As a replacement, a gondola was brought in based on the fire department’s suggestion, and installation was scheduled to be completed by 2:30 PM that day, but the poor ground conditions have slowed the work.

Therefore, 119 rescue workers are manually removing concrete piles and other fallen debris, which is hindering the speed of the rescue operation.

The assembly and installation of a 1,200-ton crane brought in to dismantle the tower crane are also struggling due to the need for ground reinforcement.

Moon Hee-jun, head of the Seo-gu Emergency Rescue Control Team, said, “The collapse site is tangled with fallen concrete piles and rebar, and although all personnel have been deployed, equipment problems are preventing progress. It is expected to take considerable time before the equipment can be properly deployed.”

Meanwhile, on the afternoon of the 11th, the outer wall of the upper floors of one building collapsed at the apartment construction site in Hwajeong-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju, being constructed by Hyundai Development Company.

One person was injured and transported to the hospital, and six people are missing. Among them, the location of one person has been identified but rescue efforts are struggling, while the locations of five remain unknown.

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