Police investigating the collapse at the overpass demolition site in Seodaemun District, Seoul, have launched compulsory searches of Seoul City Hall and the construction firms.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Violent Crime Investigation Division said it began executing search and seizure warrants at about 9 a.m. on the 29th at seven locations, including the Seoul Urban Infrastructure Headquarters and the headquarters and site offices of the project's prime contractor and subcontractor. More than 40 people, including police officers and labor inspectors from the Seoul Regional Office of Employment and Labor, were deployed.
Police plan to determine the cause of the accident and who is responsible based on materials secured through the searches. Earlier, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency organized a dedicated investigation team led by the Violent Crime Investigation Division chief (senior superintendent) as Head of Team and has been carrying out the probe. The Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) and the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office have also each formed dedicated investigative teams.
An official at the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) said, "Based on the evidence obtained through these searches, we will review work orders, work methods, and the safety management system, and thoroughly identify the structural causes of this accident that resulted in multiple casualties," adding, "If violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Serious Accidents Punishment Act are found, we will hold those responsible to account strictly."
At the Seosomun overpass demolition site, the deck structure collapsed at about 2:32 p.m. on the 26th, leaving three people dead and three injured.
In a statement, Seoul City said, "Investigators are securing related materials from Seoul City, the ordering agency, together with the contractor," adding, "We understand the search of the Urban Infrastructure Headquarters as part of the investigative process to determine the cause of the collapse at the Seosomun overpass demolition site."
It added, "As the ordering agency, Seoul City is actively cooperating with the investigation, including submitting materials," and said, "We will do our best to ensure that the objective facts and the cause of the accident are clearly identified."