On the 15th, five days after a worker went missing due to the collapse of the underground tunnel construction site of the Shin-Ansan Line in Gyeonggi Province's Gwangmyeong City, the firefighting authorities continue their search operations.
The Gyeonggi Fire Disaster Headquarters noted that they focused on stabilization work using an excavator and obstacle removal during the night.
The firefighting authorities mobilized 95 personnel, including six rescue teams, which included a special response team, and 31 pieces of equipment including four vehicles equipped with lighting and smoke extraction functions, to work overnight.
The police, city hall, Ministry of Employment and Labor, and POSCO also deployed 214 personnel and 46 pieces of equipment.
They carried out stabilization work on slopes using an excavator, and accordingly deployed seven rescuers to conduct an internal search. No unusual findings were discovered during the initial search.
The firefighting authorities cleared obstacles, including H-beams, in a section 20 to 30 meters underground and removed debris from the upper part of the container where the missing person is presumed to be. They then sent three rescuers to examine the container, but again, no unusual findings were noted.
The container where the missing 50-year-old worker A, who is affiliated with POSCO, was last seen is filled with soil. Therefore, it is impossible to determine whether A is inside until it is lifted to the surface with heavy machinery.
A firefighting official said, "We need to secure a safe access road to allow even a small crane to enter the underground tunnel below for the search to gain momentum, but the heavy rain the previous day slowed our efforts," adding, "We will increase our pace to find the missing person as quickly as possible."
The incident occurred around 3:13 p.m. on the 11th when the construction site of the underground tunnel being built by POSCO on the Shin-Ansan Line in Iljik-dong, Gwangmyeong City, collapsed along with the roadway above. As a result, A went missing and is presumed to be located 35 to 40 meters underground.