Police investigating the collapse at the Seosomun overpass demolition site in Seodaemun District, Seoul, have completed a detailed forensic inspection.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said on the 27th that it conducted a joint detailed forensic inspection from midnight to 4 a.m. with related agencies including the National Forensic Service and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency. It said the inspection was carried out at dawn to quickly identify the cause of the accident and to expedite the normalization of rail operations.
Police will analyze the results of the detailed inspection to check whether the overpass demolition was proceeding according to procedure and whether a safety assessment was pushed through despite signs of collapse. If criminal suspicions are found, those involved will be booked and the investigation will ramp up.
Police the previous day formed a dedicated investigation team, led by the Head of Team, the chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Major Crimes Investigation Unit (senior superintendent). About 50 personnel, including the serious industrial accident investigation division and forensic teams, were deployed.
At the Seosomun overpass demolition site, the deck structure collapsed at about 2:31 p.m. the previous day. Three people, including the site management chief who had gone out for a safety check, died, and three were injured.