Family of missing person who looked at the collapse site "Search for one year is expected, the state has to step in"

"It was the worst situation. At least a month, otherwise, even after six months or a year, it doesn't seem like it will be easy to rescue."

Mo Ahn, who served as the representative of the family group of the missing in the Hwajeong I-Park collapse in Seo-gu, Gwangju, showed his tragic feelings to reporters after looking around the apartment under the guidance of the fire department on the 20th.

Ahn went inside the collapsed apartment for about an hour this morning with two other missing family members and observed the search and scene conditions.

The family described the "worst situation" after looking inside the collapsed interior, which spanned 16 floors, from the 23rd to the 38th.

Ahn added, "I expected the rescue to proceed quickly if only the tilted tower crane was dismantled, but when I saw it in person, it seemed unlikely."

He added, "The field rescue team has already done everything they can." He added, "We have to admit what we have to admit. The family will discuss a proposal to change the search method and propose it to the rescue authorities first."

The family made this decision after examining the cliffs created by the collapse in and out of both corners of the building and the concrete plate structures stacked on top of each other and hung from the edge of the retaining wall.

Ahn said, "It will not be easy to find missing persons in a short period of time with only the current capabilities."

“If the search and rescue period is prolonged, the suffering of not only the waiting family, but also of merchants and other people around the collapse site will increase,” he said.

The family also reported the situation of the search inside the upper floors exposed to various dangers.

The 119 rescue team was scraping concrete debris by holding hands or tying ropes to the cliff and retaining wall.

Families who watched the rescue team's dedication, such as lying on a piece of Styrofoam and taking a short break, said they were "respectful".

The family also suggested that new safety guidelines (manuals) be prepared for construction sites in the wake of this accident.

"At the time of the collapse, the physical distance between the fall and evacuation was only a couple of steps," said Ahn.

He said, "Crisis response drills such as warning and evacuation assuming various accident situations should be made mandatory at construction sites. emphasized.

(Photo = Yonhap News)