A five-storey building under demolition drive collapsed in South Korea, killing nine people. The building collapsed on a city bus killing people sitting inside. Reports claim that eight people in the bus have suffered severe injuries and are being treated. The building was situated in one of the busy freeways in Gwangju.
The shocking incident occurred at 4.22 PM KST on June 9 in Gwangju, located right next to a 6-lane municipal road. After analysing various dashcams and CCTV camera footages, it was found that the bus had been halted on the side to pick up and drop off passengers [in front of the bus shelter], when without any notice, the building suddenly collapsed to the ground, crushing the bus completely.
Negligence by Demolition Company?
Reports stated that among those who have lost their lives are a woman in her sixties, a woman in her seventies, as well as a high school student in his second year. Reports claim that the five-storey building was under demolition at the construction site. June 9 was the first day of demolition. In the process, the scaffolding that was fixed to support the right side of the building suddenly gave way and the building collapsed to the ground, also crushing the bus stationed there, in no time.
Hearing the news, firefighters rushed to the spot and it took sometime before finding the bus beneath the debris. Initial report, before finding the bus, had claimed that there were no casualties. But as soon as the bus was spotted, the firefighters team stated that nine people had died and eight have suffered severe injuries. It took some time to get the passengers out of the bus.
Chosun reported that according to firefighters, it will take days for them to clear the road of debris. The reports state that the road where building collapsed was a busy road where two-wheelers and cars move all the time. When the building was collapsing, two-wheelers and cars managed to move away and escaped death by a whisker. But the bus was halted at the shelter and couldn't be moved before the building fell on it.
Experts and netizens have slammed the company that was assigned work of demolishing the building. Koreaboo reported that the demolition company was using excavators to raze one side of the building, which caused the other side, facing the road, to weaken and collapse. It is said that the company had failed to seal down the area or at least block the vicinities of the building before starting the demolition work.
