Cheongdo Train Accident Victims: A New Employee in His 30s and His Only Son… Family Members Wail
In a tragic train accident near the Gyeongbu Line in Hwaryeong-myeon, Cheongdo-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, it has been reported that one of the two deceased workers from a subcontractor was a new employee in his 30s who had joined the company this year, adding to the sorrow.
On the afternoon of the 19th, around 5 PM, the bodies of the deceased on-site safety inspection workers, Mr. Lee (37) and Mr. Cho (30), were laid out at a funeral home in a hospital in Cheongdo-gun.
Upon hearing the news of his only son’s passing, family members who hurriedly came from afar initially entered the funeral home with relatively calm expressions. However, when they arrived in front of the mortuary where their son’s body was, they couldn't bear to see him and hesitated for a while at the door before turning back to the mourning hall.
The family members, who sat silently in the mourning hall, burst into tears when representatives from the firm where Mr. Lee had worked for a long time came to pay their respects. The company representatives also showed tears and bowed their heads in front of the grieving family.
After some time, Mr. Cho's family also arrived at the funeral home. Mr. Cho, a new employee who joined this year, had been working in a team with senior employee Mr. Lee, handling on-site safety inspections.
A representative from the firm stated, "Both of the deceased employees were diligent in their work. The other four injured employees are also veterans with long careers," he said, choking up.
He continued in a trembling voice, "This is the first human accident we've experienced while running the company. There were railway operation managers, signalmen, and supervising officials, but I don’t understand why this accident happened."
Meanwhile, around 10:52-54 AM that day, a Mugunghwa train (No. 1903) departing from Dongdaegu Station to Jinju, Gyeongnam, struck seven workers who were moving near the tracks for work, close to the Cheongdo Bullfighting Arena in Hwaryeong-myeon.
As a result of the accident, two people died, and five sustained serious injuries. Among the seven workers involved, one was confirmed to be from the primary contractor, Korail, while the other six were identified as employees of a subcontractor specializing in structural safety inspections.
The Gyeongbuk Police Agency has formed a dedicated team to investigate the cause of the accident and will analyze the on-site surveillance cameras (CCTV) and question those involved in the incident.
Image Source: Around 11:50 AM on the 19th, at the Gyeongbu Line near the Cheongdo Bullfighting Arena in Cheongdo-gun, a Mugunghwa train heading to Masan struck seven workers who were working on the tracks, and members of the 119 rescue team are moving the injured. / News1, reference photo for understanding the article / gettyimagesbank
