South Korea: Police raid Seoul city govt, engineering company over overpass collapse

SEOUL: South Korean Police on Friday raided the offices of the Seoul city government, an engineering company and others involved in the demolition of an overpass in western Seoul that partially collapsed earlier this week.

The raids took place three days after a section of the Seosomun Overpass undergoing demolition collapsed, killing three people and injuring three others.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said it was carrying out searches and seizures at seven locations, including the city government's infrastructure headquarters and contractors involved in the demolition work, as part of its investigation into the collapse.

The simultaneous raids, which involve 33 police investigators and 20 workplace safety officials under the labor ministry, seek to secure evidence to determine the exact cause of the collapse and those responsible for the accident, according to the police.

The labor ministry said it plans to check whether proper safety measures were followed at the site, vowing to "strictly" seek accountability if it finds any violation of workplace safety laws.

On Thursday, President Lee Jae Myung called for a prompt investigation and stern punishment for those responsible for recent safety-related incidents, including the collapse of the overpass.

SEOUL: South Korean Police on Friday raided the offices of the Seoul city government, an engineering company and others involved in the demolition of an overpass in western Seoul that partially collapsed earlier this week.

The raids took place three days after a section of the Seosomun Overpass undergoing demolition collapsed, killing three people and injuring three others.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said it was carrying out searches and seizures at seven locations, including the city government's infrastructure headquarters and contractors involved in the demolition work, as part of its investigation into the collapse.

The simultaneous raids, which involve 33 police investigators and 20 workplace safety officials under the labor ministry, seek to secure evidence to determine the exact cause of the collapse and those responsible for the accident, according to the police.

The labor ministry said it plans to check whether proper safety measures were followed at the site, vowing to "strictly" seek accountability if it finds any violation of workplace safety laws.

On Thursday, President Lee Jae Myung called for a prompt investigation and stern punishment for those responsible for recent safety-related incidents, including the collapse of the overpass.