hankyoreh

Two excavators take part in a rescue mission Wednesday for those trapped under the debris of a building that collapsed the same day in Gwangju. (Kim Yong-hee/The Hankyoreh)

Lee, 56, a city bus driver who survived the collapse of a building in Gwangju, remembers with horror the terrifying moments of the accident. He was driving the number 54 bus Wednesday when he passed the redevelopment construction site, which collapsed.

The accident in the redevelopment area of Gwangju, has killed nine people and seriously injured eight as of Wednesday. Although there were early warning signs that the building was in danger of collapsing, the construction company in charge of the building is suspected to have not warned local residents.

The 5-story building collapsed at 4:22 pm in Hak-dong 4, Dong District, in Gwangju.

The accident occurred at a bus stop at a 3-way road intersection. Bus 54 had stopped to drop off passengers when the building collapsed, piling scaffolding and debris on the bus.

According to rescue officials, nine people were found dead and eight seriously injured. The injured were transferred to Chonnam National University Hospital, Joseon University Hospital, and Dong-A Hospital.

At 4:40 pm, rescue authorities issued a second response by dispatching 141 rescue workers and 55 emergency vehicles such as ambulances and excavators to the scene.

Kim Seok-soon, head of the disaster response team, said in a press briefing, “A joint investigation will examine the cause of the collapse. We are doing everything we can to rescue those trapped at the site.”

Yoo Pil-suk, a 64-year-old who runs a beauty salon across the road from the accident site, said, “I heard a loud noise outside and when I went out I saw that the building had collapsed and there was a lot of dust. There’s a bus stop right there and it’s a place where a lot of people usually gather. I hope there aren’t many casualties.”

Officials in charge of the demolition project are suspected of not warning local residents despite being aware of the danger.

A man who identified himself as a construction official at the site said at the press briefing, “The building shook and made strange noises during the demolition work with an excavator and we evacuated all our workers. It is unfortunate that this accident happened.”

The fire department has dispatched firefighters, including the Honam Special Rescue Team, to rescue casualties, including workers. The Gwangju police are planning to investigate the officials in charge of the demolition to check whether they followed appropriate safety measures.

Assigned for redevelopment, Hak-dong 4 is an old housing district suffering from severe urban abandonment. In February 2018, Hyundai Development Company was awarded the contract for redevelopment and began the demolition work. The redevelopment area covers 126,433.60 square meters with plans to erect 19 apartments with 29 stories and two floors below ground, providing housing for 2,282 households.

By Kim Yong-hee, Gwangju correspondent

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