Search Operation at Yangju Quarry Faces Difficulties... One Missing Person Not Found

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] At the Sampo Industrial stone quarry in Yangju-si, Gyeonggi Province, two workers died and one went missing due to a landslide, and the police and fire authorities have been conducting search operations for 28 hours but are facing difficulties.

On the 30th, the fire authorities expanded the search radius and are currently conducting intensive search operations with 10 excavators, 47 rescue personnel, and 5 rescue dogs. Due to the wide search area and the large amount of soil that has slid down, firefighters are having difficulty finding the missing person as they remove the soil one by one with heavy equipment.

The Gyeonggi Northern Fire and Disaster Headquarters stated, "Pump equipment is buried around the search site, and due to the large amount of soil, we are continuously assessing the site risks with soil experts and related agencies while proceeding with the work," adding, "The rescue operation may take more time, but we will do our best."

The police and the Ministry of Employment and Labor have begun a full investigation into the cause of the accident. The police, considering charges of professional negligence resulting in death, are securing witness statements from workers involved in the operation besides the buried victims, and plan to conduct autopsies on the two deceased workers on the 31st. The Ministry of Employment and Labor has formed the Central Industrial Accident Response Headquarters (Jungsanbon) and started an investigation into Sampo Industrial for violations of the Serious Accident Punishment Act.

Earlier, at 10:08 a.m. on the 29th, three workers were buried in a landslide during stone quarrying work at the Sampo Industrial Yangju Stone Quarry in Dohari, Eunhyeon-myeon, Yangju-si. Among them, two were found deceased, and one remains missing.

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