At an underground construction site for the double-track Shinansan Line near Yeouido Station in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, rebar fell in an accident. One worker found in cardiac arrest died, and one person was injured.
According to the fire authorities, at about 1:22 p.m. on the 18th a report came in from the Shinansan Line underpass construction site in front of Exit 2 of Yeouido Station on Subway Line No. 5 that "rebar collapsed and a person was trapped."
Rescue teams arrived on the scene at about 1:29 p.m., and most of the workers evacuated on their own.
In the accident, a man in his 50s was found in cardiac arrest and was taken to a hospital while receiving CPR, but he ultimately died. Another man in his 60s was transported to a hospital with shoulder and ankle injuries and is recovering.
The accident is believed to have occurred when rebar fell from a height of 18 meters during concrete pouring work on an underground tunnel structure.
There was reportedly no risk of collapse or subsidence at the construction site. However, the work is currently suspended, and the timing of resumption has not been set.
Police and fire authorities deployed 76 vehicles and 292 personnel to carry out the rescue operation that day.
Police plan to investigate the rescued workers and the construction company to determine whether there were any safety deficiencies during the work.
The Shinansan Line is a metropolitan railway that runs from Ansan in Gyeonggi through Siheung and Gwangmyeong to Yeouido in Seoul. The line is 49.4 kilometers long.
The section where the accident occurred is a site where POSCO E&C is in charge of construction. At the Gwangmyeong tunnel construction site also handled by POSCO E&C, a fatal accident occurred in April due to a collapse.