Gwangmyeong subway construction site collapses; 1 trapped, 1 missing

An underground subway tunnel under construction in Gwangmyeong, a city just southwest of Seoul, collapsed Friday afternoon, leaving one worker trapped and another missing, according to South Korean police and fire authorities.

Gwangmyeong is a densely populated commuter city in Gyeonggi Province, part of the greater Seoul metropolitan area. It plays a key role in regional transit plans, including the expansion of the capital’s subway network.

Five of the 17 workers who were on-site for a safety inspection were initially unreachable. Three were later confirmed safe. One of the remaining two, an excavator operator, was able to briefly communicate with rescuers by phone, confirming he is alive but trapped underground.

Rescue teams from the Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters’ Special Response Unit reported hearing the trapped worker’s voice, though they have yet to make visual contact. A gas odor near the site is complicating rescue efforts. Authorities suspect a nearby gas pipeline and have asked the Korea Gas Safety Corporation to shut off the supply.

“The rescue operation is likely to take considerable time,” an emergency official said.

The collapse occurred at 3:13 p.m. at a site near Yangji Intersection in Iljik-dong, Gwangmyeong, where construction firm Posco E&C is building part of the Sinansan subway line. The tunnel and the road above it collapsed simultaneously.

Damage was also reported to nearby roads and commercial buildings, but as of 4:25 p.m., no injuries from adjacent structures had been reported.

Early Friday morning, officials had closed off roads between Gwangmyeong and neighboring Anyang due to concerns about potential subsidence. Around 12:30 a.m., workers reported a tunnel support failure about 30 meters underground, along with suspicious sounds from the site.

Traffic remains restricted from Yangji Intersection in Gwangmyeong to Hohyeon Junction in Bakdan-dong, Anyang. Authorities are continuing safety inspections and an investigation into the cause of the collapse.

The Sinansan Line is a planned 29.7-kilometer route connecting Seoul with Gwangmyeong, Ansan and Siheung. Phase one, running from Sa-dong in Ansan to Yeouido Station in Seoul, is scheduled to open in December 2026 and later extend to Seoul Station.