On the 14th, at the collapse site of the Sinansan Line double-track railway section 5-2 in Iljik-dong, Gwangmyeong-si, Gyeonggi Province, firefighters and other officials continue the search for a missing person. As of April 15, 2025, the search is ongoing for a worker in his 50s who went missing due to the underground tunnel collapse accident on the Sinansan Line in Gwangmyeong-si, Gyeonggi Province.
According to the Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters on the 15th, rescue authorities have been conducting preliminary operations since the night of the 14th to rescue the missing worker, Mr. A, who is in his 50s and belongs to POSCO E&C, using excavators.
The operations mainly involve stabilizing the accident site slopes and removing obstacles using excavators.
Approximately 300 personnel and 70 pieces of equipment from related agencies, including fire authorities, the police, city hall, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and POSCO E&C, have been mobilized.
Seven rescue workers were deployed by the fire authorities to conduct an internal search for people. However, no unusual findings were reported in the initial search.
The fire authorities checked a presumed container where Mr. A might be located at a depth of 20 to 30 meters underground, but no traces were found there either.
Another team of three rescue workers inspected the container, but it was only filled with earth, and no unusual findings were noted.
Currently, the rescue authorities have obtained testimonies from eyewitnesses stating that “Mr. A was in the educational building container.”
Based on this, the police estimate that Mr. A might be buried in one of the six containers at the accident site.
A fire department official stated, “It’s not certain yet as the containers have not been retrieved or fully opened,” and explained, “There is a possibility that the missing person could be in another safe area.”
The official added, “For a smooth search operation, a small crane needs to enter the lower part of the underground tunnel,” but noted, “It rained heavily the previous day, making it difficult.”
Previously, on the afternoon of the 11th, the underground tunnel construction site of the Sinansan Line section 5-2 in Iljik-dong, Gwangmyeong-si, being constructed by POSCO E&C, collapsed along with the upper road.
In this accident, Mr. A went missing, and a subcontracted excavator operator in his 20s, Mr. B, was isolated and later rescued by a special fire response team after about 13 hours at 4:27 a.m. on the 12th.
The accident is presumed to have occurred due to a crack in the internal columns (supports) of the underground tunnel where the “two-arch method” was applied.
The two-arch method involves drilling one arched tunnel, setting up columns, and then expanding by drilling additional tunnels on either side.
Mr. A and others were part of a team of 15 workers conducting safety inspections and other operations on the upper deck above the controlled underground tunnel when the accident occurred.