<Anchor>
Today (13th) has been the third day since 6 people went missing due to the collapse of an apartment structure in Gwangju, but there is still no news of the rescue. The search operation is scheduled to begin again this morning. Our reporter is at the scene of the accident.
Correspondent Choi Seon-gil, there is snow in Gwangju today. How is the search operation going today?
<Reporter>
Yes, I am at the site of the collapse of an apartment building in Hwajeong-dong, Gwangju.
Behind me, you can see the apartment with the outer wall collapsing and the tower crane leaning to one side.
As the sun went down yesterday evening, the search for the missing person was stopped for the safety of firefighters.
While it has not yet snowed in Gwangju, the search operation will resume as soon as the sun rises.
Yesterday, the fire department searched with drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras, six rescue dogs and firefighters, but could not find six missing people.
Rescue dogs showed a weak specific reaction between the 26th and 28th floors, but firefighters did not directly go to the area to search.
This is because the building's outer wall collapsed, creating a cliff and covered with debris, making it difficult and dangerous to enter.
[Moon Hee-jun / Gwangju West Fire Chief: The upper floors have collapsed and it is not easy to actually search. There is also a lot of debris. So there were some difficulties.]
So, starting today, we plan to continue the existing search operation and at the same time use heavy equipment to clear debris while dismantling a tower crane that is in danger of collapsing.
Hyundai Development Company said that the lower part of the tower crane is supported, so only the upper part has been partially dismantled, and the dismantling is expected to be completed around Monday next week.
<Anchor>
Reporter Choi, in such a situation, it may take some time for the news of the rescue to come while the families of the missing person are eagerly waiting.
<Reporter>
Yes, it is. As mentioned above, the tower crane, dismantling work, and debris removal work seem to take a considerable amount of time, so the concern of the families of the missing is growing.
<Anchor>
Did the police start an investigation into the cause of the accident?
<Reporter> In
addition to the search operation, a police investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident.
Yesterday, the police summoned five people including the director of the Hyundai Industrial Development site, the construction company, officials from the subcontractor in charge of concrete work, and officials from the supervisory company to investigate.
While Hyundai Industrial Development Site Director Development has been charged with negligence on the job, the police are first investigating how the building collapsed against them.
In particular, in the case of concrete work, which has been identified as one of the main causes of collapse, we are investigating whether the work was carried out excessively to shorten the construction period even in cold and windy weather.
The police and fire departments plan to prioritize the rescue of the missing and conduct a joint investigation on the spot after completing the search operation.