Warning before collapse

[Anchor]

Yesterday (7.16), in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, a retaining wall of an overpass collapsed, resulting in one fatality.

However, it has been confirmed that a complaint regarding the potential for collapse was received just the day before the accident.

The police are investigating whether there was any negligence in management by the local government.

Reporter Choo Jae-hoon reports.

[Report]

Vehicles driving on a rainy road, the retaining wall next to the overpass suddenly collapses, crushing the vehicle ahead.

Then, a massive concrete structure on top of the retaining wall also collapses in succession.

This is the scene of the retaining wall collapse that occurred around 7 PM yesterday at an intersection in Osan, Gyeonggi Province.

The fire authorities immediately deployed excavators for rescue operations, but it took three hours to locate the driver under the 180-ton concrete structure.

The driver was transported to the hospital in a state of cardiac arrest but ultimately passed away.

This is the accident site.

The soil and concrete supports that held up the road collapsed, completely covering the roadway. Debris from the crashed vehicle remains scattered on the ground.

It has now been confirmed that a civil complaint warning of a potential retaining wall collapse was submitted to the city of Osan the day before the accident.

The complaint, filed 36 hours before the incident via Safety e-Report, warned that “the wall could collapse if rainwater seeps in.”

On top of that, a sinkhole about 40 centimeters in diameter had already formed on the road above the retaining wall prior to the collapse.

This raises concerns not only about the extreme weather but also about possible negligence in management.

[Lee Kwon-jae/Mayor of Osan: "A complaint came in, so we coordinated with the police to restrict access. But we never imagined this retaining wall would collapse..."]

Police are now investigating whether the accident constitutes a “serious civil disaster.” The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has launched an investigation into the cause, and Gyeonggi Province has announced a full inspection of similar roads.

This is KBS News, Choo Jae-hoon.