While Brushing Teeth, Bathroom Wall Tile Suddenly 'Bang'..."Ran Away with Child"

Tiles Cracked and Fallen in Apartment Bathroom
Resident Complains of Explosion Sound Like Gas Blast
Construction Company Says "Concrete Shrinkage Due to Weather... Not a Structural Issue"

In a bathroom of an apartment in Seoul, concrete tiles have broken and fallen, causing residents to express concerns. The photo shows Styrofoam attached to the damaged tile area. / Photo by JTBC Broadcast Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] About three years after residents began moving in, the bathroom wall of an apartment in Seoul has started to crumble. The construction company explained that the phenomenon occurred due to sudden concrete shrinkage caused by cold weather, but residents are expressing anxiety as building-related safety accidents, such as the recent 'Gwangju Apartment Exterior Wall Collapse Accident,' have been occurring one after another.

According to 'JTBC' on the 25th, Mr. A, a resident of an apartment in Seoul who began moving in since 2019, recently witnessed bathroom tiles suddenly breaking and falling while brushing his teeth in the bathroom.

According to Mr. A, the bathroom door frame had started to warp a few days before the accident, causing the door not to close properly. On the day of the accident, a 'creaking' noise was heard from the ceiling, followed by a 'bang' sound as the bathroom tiles burst. As the fragments fell, Mr. A narrowly avoided serious injury.

Mr. A described the situation at the time, saying, "It was like an explosion site. The explosion sound was as loud as a gas explosion, and tile fragments scattered onto other walls," adding, "I was so shocked, thinking the house was collapsing, that I ran outside with my 3-year-old child."

Afterward, a construction company official who came in response to Mr. A's contact diagnosed it as a simple tile defect and promised to repair it soon. The damaged wall is currently covered with Styrofoam.

The construction company explained that the phenomenon occurred due to the contraction of concrete caused by the cold weather. / Photo by JTBC

Feeling uneasy due to this accident, Mr. A requested a safety inspection by experts from the construction company, but it is reported that the request was not accepted.

Regarding this, the construction company told 'JTBC,' "This phenomenon occurred due to concrete shrinkage during the cold winter," and explained, "There is no structural problem, so there is no safety issue."

Meanwhile, anxiety among some residents has increased due to recent safety accidents related to apartments.

Earlier, at around 3:46 p.m. on the 11th, an exterior wall collapse accident occurred at an apartment construction site in Hwajeong-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju. Six workers present at the accident site went missing as concrete debris collapsed. The first missing person's body was recovered on the 14th.

The Gwangju Police Agency Investigation Headquarters, which is investigating the accident, stated at a briefing on the 25th, "The main causes of the accident are presumed to be the failure to install support props and unauthorized installation of reverse formwork."

The National Construction Standards Center's standard specifications require the installation of so-called 'dongbari (support props)' on the three floors below when pouring concrete for buildings over 30 floors or higher than 120 meters. However, it was revealed that the construction site where the accident occurred ignored this and proceeded with work immediately.

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