Safety risk at deadly sinkhole site mentioned in 2023 report
Officials were warned of risks in the area in Seoul where a sinkhole opened up earlier this week, killing one person, according to a report submitted Friday to Rep. Park Yong-kab of the Democratic Party.
A substantial portion of the subway fault zone -- referring to where a fault crosses a subway tunnel -- near the sinkhole site was found to have subsided due to weight, according to the report, which assessed safety matters related to the extension of Subway Line No. 9. It was commissioned by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and conducted in 2023 by an independent party.
The report advised officials to exercise particular caution regarding construction in this area because of the large-scale subsidence, or depression in the ground surface.
Assessing the likelihood of the ground sinking, the report assigned the fourth-highest risk grade out of five to the area, also citing the presence of water pipes and an inflow of groundwater.
It was revealed Wednesday that the Seoul government categorizes each region in the city in accordance with the local risk of ground sinking. Officials said the regions and their grades could not be disclosed due to the risk of panic among residents.
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