Major accident in South Korea, steel frame collapses at library site, painful death of two laborers

South Korea Library Collapse Incident: A serious construction accident occurred in South Korea’s Gwangju city on Thursday afternoon, where a steel structure at a library construction site collapsed causing major damage. Two laborers died in this accident, while two others are feared trapped under the debris. Local authorities and fire department have confirmed this.

The accident occurred when ready-mix concrete was being poured at the construction site. According to officials, the steel frame could not bear the load as per its rated capacity and within no time it broke and fell down. With the collapse, heavy concrete slabs and steel pipes started falling on each other, under which four workers were buried. All the affected workers are said to be Korean citizens and technicians.

Firefighters and rescue teams on the spot

As soon as information about the incident was received around 2 pm (local time), firefighters and rescue teams reached the spot. A 47-year-old laborer was the first to be pulled out from the debris, but he died after being taken to the hospital. After some time, the rescue team recovered the body of another labourer. Heavy machinery and additional manpower have been deployed to search for the remaining two workers, although thick layers of steel and concrete have made rescue challenging.

An official of the construction site said that in the accident, the roof of the second floor collapsed and fell directly on the first floor. The support system in this part was not sufficient, due to which the steel structure collapsed immediately.

President gave strict instructions

This library project was being developed by the Gwangju Metropolitan Government on the site of an old garbage incineration plant. The project, costing 51.6 billion won (about US$35 million), was to be built on a total area of ​​11,286 square meters, including two ground floors and two basement floors.

Given the seriousness of the accident, South Korean President Lee Jae-Myung issued urgent instructions to officials during a Labor Ministry briefing in Sejong city. He said that “all available resources should be used” to rescue the workers trapped in the debris and there should be no delay in the rescue work.

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The local administration is now investigating the cause of the accident, which includes possibilities like the quality of the steel structure, load testing and non-compliance with safety regulations.