The investigation into the tunnel collapse on the Bujeon-Masan double-track electrified railway line has been extended by four months, with the probe now running through Oct. 4.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's accident investigation committee for the Bujeon-Masan tunnel collapse announced Thursday that it would extend the investigation period to conduct a more thorough examination into the cause of the Nakdong No. 1 tunnel collapse, which occurred on March 18, 2020.
The investigation period — originally set to run from Feb. 5 through Thursday — has been extended to Oct. 4.
The committee has conducted its work since an inaugural meeting, carrying out on-site inspections, reviewing existing accident investigation reports and design documents, and holding eight plenary sessions to examine construction plans for the remaining emergency evacuation passages and analyze the cause of the accident.
In the course of that work, the committee determined that additional reviews and investigations — including structural analysis of the tunnel, fire safety assessments and borehole surveys — were needed to reach more accurate and well-grounded conclusions.
The committee also plans to pursue the investigation from multiple angles, including securing additional design and construction records and holding hearings with specialized contractors and relevant parties.
Committee chair Oh Young-seok said the panel would "diligently carry out the remaining investigation to produce reliable findings by analyzing factors that may have affected tunnel stability — including ground conditions and construction status at the accident site — and will move swiftly to establish measures to prevent recurrence through a clear analysis of the accident's cause, along with a sound construction plan for the emergency evacuation passages."
smh@heraldcorp.com
