71 Vulnerable Facilities in Mapo-gu Checked Urgently During Thawing Period... Safety 'No Issues'

76 Cases of Ground Weakening During Thaw Periods in the Last 3 Years, Mapo-gu to Conduct Safety Inspections Until the 27th
Immediate Reinforcement and Repairs, Emergency Measures Including Usage Restrictions for Serious Defects Implemented

According to the Fire Department, among a total of 143 accidents related to the thawing season over the past three years, 76 cases of collapse and cave-ins caused by ground weakening were the most frequent. This is because the ground and ice that were frozen throughout the winter melt, weakening the ground.

In response, Mapo-gu (District Mayor Park Gang-su) plans to focus all efforts on inspecting safety-vulnerable facilities in the area through a cross-check strategy.

First, the district will conduct a 'Thawing Season Safety Inspection' targeting 71 safety-vulnerable facilities by the 27th of this month.

The inspection targets include 71 high-risk thawing season facilities where there is concern about safety accidents such as collapse, toppling, and falling rocks, including redevelopment site excavation sites, steep slopes, retaining walls, and landslide-prone areas.

The department in charge of the facilities will first conduct focused inspections on dangerous sections, and if serious defects are found, joint inspections with private experts will be carried out.

The key inspection items are ▲ abnormalities such as cracks, subsidence, and falling rocks on slopes ▲ safety conditions such as subsidence and bulging of terraces, retaining walls, and fences ▲ subsidence of houses adjacent to excavation sites and surrounding roads, and compliance with safety rules ▲ subsidence and erosion caused by freezing and thawing during the thawing season.

Minor issues found during inspections will be immediately repaired or reinforced, and if serious defects are discovered, emergency measures such as usage restrictions and urgent repairs will be taken, followed by thorough cause investigations.

Additionally, from March 11 to 20, the district will conduct additional on-site patrols at 25 locations including major roads, apartments, and steep slopes near houses in Mapo-gu, as well as landslide-prone areas, to carry out thorough cross-check inspections.

The civil complaint patrol team will inspect risks such as facility damage, cracks, falling rocks, and groundwater discharge, and if risks are found, they plan to request repair and reinforcement and follow-up actions from relevant departments.

A district official stated, “Owners and managers of private facilities also need to frequently check for ground subsidence, cracks, or bulging phenomena on retaining walls or aging buildings during the thawing season.”

Meanwhile, on the 8th, Mapo-gu also conducted a special safety inspection at the ‘Seogyo-dong Complex Facility New Construction’ site, where a large-scale building construction is underway, to check the progress of the construction and request thorough preparation against thawing season safety accidents.

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, “Thawing season safety inspections are an important safety measure to prevent major accidents during the upcoming summer rainy season,” and added, “We will do our best to thoroughly manage safety-vulnerable facilities in the area with a proactive attitude to ensure the safety of residents 356 days a year.”

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