2023 audit found condition of Gwangmyeong tunnel collapse site 'very poor'

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2023 audit found condition of Gwangmyeong tunnel collapse site 'very poor'

Published: 14 Apr. 2025, 17:17

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Stabilization work is underway at the Shinansan Line underground tunnel construction site in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi on April 13, that collapsed on April 11. [JANG JIN-YOUNG]

Search operations resumed on Sunday for a worker in his 50s who went missing after a tunnel collapse at a construction site for the Shinansan Line in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi, as reports revealed that the construction site had already been flagged for its poor ground conditions two years ago.

An audit report by the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) in January 2023 noted that the section of the Shinansan Line under construction between Siheung City Hall and Gwangmyeong was in a “very poor” condition — rated at level 5 — due to fragmented bedrock and fault zones, yet lacked essential structural reinforcements, like inverted arches, in its tunnel design.

Rescue teams restarted their search at 2:10 p.m. for the missing worker, an employee of Posco E&C, according to the Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters. The rescue operation mobilized five teams from regional fire stations in Gwangmyeong, Gunpo, Ansan and Anyang, along with 350-ton and 500-ton cranes and firefighting drones.

Firefighters had been working to find and rescue the worker after saving a man in his 20s, an excavator operator, who had been trapped for over 13 hours following the collapse early Friday morning.

The operator was found about 30 meters underground beneath a pile of debris. However, worsening weather conditions forced rescue workers to temporarily withdraw from the site later that day due to the risk of further collapse.

On Sunday morning, a response meeting was held between firefighting authorities and related agencies to discuss resuming the search. Experts raised concerns about the ground becoming dangerously unstable after 23.5 millimeters of rain fell in the area the previous day, suggesting that “the restricted area should be expanded.”

Firefighters are moving around the collapse site of the 5-2 section at the Shinansan Line underground tunnel construction site in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi, on April 14. [NEWS1]

Despite this, authorities decided to proceed with the rescue effort, citing the so-called “golden time” for rescue operations involving collapses where survivors are trapped underground, typically within 72 hours. However, difficulties remain in clearing dangerous materials and accessing the lower levels of the collapse site.

Police are maintaining traffic control over a one-kilometer (0.62 miles) stretch of road near the accident site, from Yangji Intersection in Gwangmyeong to Hohyeon Intersection in Anyang, deploying 100 officers.

Investigators have called in 11 of the 19 workers who were present during the tunnel's reinforcement and safety inspection at the time of the collapse for questioning.

The accident occurred at around 3:13 p.m. on Friday at Section 5-2 of the Shinansan double-track railway project near Yangji Intersection in Iljik-dong, Gwangmyeong.

The tunnel under construction by Posco E&C collapsed along with approximately 50 meters of road above it. The currently missing worker in his 50s, who had been inspecting the site from above, has remained unaccounted for, with his exact location and condition unknown.

The road near the construction site of Shinansan Line underground tunnel construction site in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi is seen elevated on April 14. [NEWS1]

The day before the collapse, it was reported that parts of the tunnel's central supporting pillars had been damaged. According to the initial situation report submitted by the construction consortium, NextTrain, led by Posco E&C, the damage was first discovered at 9:50 p.m. on April 10. The report attributed the damage to “estimated displacement caused by left-side earth pressure in the tunnel.”

The Shinansan Line was initially scheduled to open in April this year, but construction delays have left the project at only 55 percent completion.

“A detailed probe is needed, from the design phase to possible shoddy construction,” said Choi Myung-gi, a professor with the Human Resources Development Service of Korea.

“Rescue operations are our top priority and we are doing everything we can to determine the cause of the accident and manage the situation,” stated Posco E&C.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY CHOI MO-RAN, PARK JONG-SUH [[email protected]]