Osan officials received wall collapse warning a day before fatal incident

City officials in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, received a civil complaint earlier this week warning of the potential collapse of a retaining wall just one day before the structure gave way, killing one person.

The complaint, submitted online at 7:19 a.m. Tuesday, raised concerns that one side of a two-lane road near an intersection in Gajang-dong appeared to be sinking and that the retaining wall beneath it could collapse in heavy rain.

“The retaining wall may collapse under continuous rainfall. I urge you to check it as soon as possible,” the petitioner wrote, including a link to a street-view map identifying the exact location.

City officials responded by promising prompt action and completed repairs to potholes on the road above the wall by 4 p.m. the same day. However, no measures were taken regarding the retaining wall itself — the main concern of the complaint. The collapse occurred around 7:04 p.m. on Wednesday.

Officials told local media they believed the complaint only pertained to the pothole issue and did not anticipate that the wall could fail. They added the wall had received a “B” rating in a safety inspection last month and was deemed structurally sound.

The collapse buried two cars and their drivers, killing one and injuring the other.