Giant construction device falls and strikes nearby building, inflicts damage but injures no one
State, city, and provincial officials conducted an all-night recovery operation and safety inspection at an apartment building in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, which was hit by an 80-ton drilling rig that tipped over Thursday night.
Workers began dismantling the drill Friday morning, but it was expected to take five to seven hours, after the authorities secured the giant device to ensure that no additional damage occurred.
The drilling device is currently leaning on the walls of the apartment in Yongin, some 40 kilometers south of Seoul, from the eighth floor to the 15th floor.
The residents of the building were subject to an extreme shock when the drilling rig tipped over and hit the building, just before 10:13 p.m. on Thursday, when the rescue authorities Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters received a report.
Residents said the thunderous sound made them think there had been an earthquake and "Caused complete chaos," according to accounts of the residents.
A total of 150 residents of the apartment were evacuated, but nobody was reported hurt. Two people received medical treatment for the shock they received from the sudden loud noise.
The drilling rig was part of a subway construction site, commissioned by the Korea National Railway. The contractor DL Construction said it had been inactive since May 31, and that they are unsure of how the accident occurred.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
