At around 8:50 am today (23rd), there was an accident where gas, a chemical used in fire suppression, leaked from the 3rd basement floor of the new construction site of the Gasan Metro Knowledge Industry Center in Gasan-dong, Geumcheon-gu, Seoul.
One in four field workers found in cardiac arrest died, the Fire Department said.
The other three are in critical condition.
Seven other people who were injured are also being treated at the hospital for shortness of breath, etc.
It is known that a total of 17 people were working at the site.
The fire department believes that the suffocation accident occurred when a carbon dioxide pipe burst while performing electrical work on the 3rd basement floor of the construction site.
The carbon dioxide gas leaked from the site is an extinguishing agent used in fire fighting, but it is known to cause suffocation if it enters the human respiratory tract.
At around 9:10 am, the fire department in charge issued the first stage of response, mobilizing all available manpower, and dispatched 20 firefighting vehicles and 73 firefighters to the scene.
The fire department has completed the search operation and is investigating the exact cause of the accident.