Survivor rescued 13 hours after Gwangmyeong collapse

A 28-year-old excavator operator who had been trapped in a collapse at the Sinansan Line underground tunnel construction site in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province, was rescued at around 4:27 a.m. Saturday — about 13 hours after he was buried nearly 30 meters underground.

Cho Byung-joo, a 45-year-old fire captain with the Gyeonggi Special Response Unit who took part in the rescue mission, told the Dong-A Ilbo, “I risked my life to save Kim as if he were my own family buried underground.”

According to the Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters, the ground gave way at 3:13 p.m. Friday. At around 5:16 p.m., rescuers heard the trapped worker, surnamed Kim, shouting for help. However, locating him proved difficult due to surrounding noise and the wide extent of the collapse. Falling debris and unstable soil also posed a significant safety threat during the operation.

Focusing on the sound of Kim’s voice and other clues, rescuers eventually located where he was trapped. He was initially conscious and able to communicate by phone, but his condition worsened over time as fatigue set in.

At approximately 9:53 p.m., Fire Capt. Cho descended into the collapse zone using a crane rope. Steel rebar and H-beams were tangled throughout the site, raising fears of additional cave-ins. Using a crane, rescuers lifted five or six concrete slabs — each weighing more than 200 kilograms — while carefully cutting wires with shovels and hoes to reach Kim.

Rescuers eventually spotted Kim’s white helmet peeking through the rubble. He was crouched down with his lower body buried in soil. Because a steel beam was pressing on his abdomen, crews removed it slowly to avoid triggering shock. At around 1:26 a.m., medics administered IV fluids and covered him with a blanket. They also gave him chocolate milk to help prevent hypothermia and hypoglycemia.

After clearing the remaining debris from his lower body, Kim was lifted out by crane at 4:27 a.m. He was transported to Ajou University Hospital with multiple crush injuries, a fractured clavicle and dehydration. His condition is not considered life-threatening, officials said.

Fire authorities resumed the search for another victim — a missing 50-year-old worker from Posco E&C — at 2:10 p.m. Sunday after temporarily halting the operation due to the risk of further collapse. A fire official said the recovery effort was expected to take considerable time.


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