3 dead, 5 injured at S. Korean tunnel construction site

HWASEONG, South Korea, May 18 (Yonhap) -- Three workers died and five were
injured when they were buried in a landslide Monday at a tunnel construction site
in the city of Hwaseong, just south of Seoul, police said.

Kwon Tae-won, 55, Choi Jae-mun, 59. and Kim Bok-hoi, 58, were found dead hours
after the 7:18 a.m. accident, in which the arch of the tunnel collapsed due to an
apparent weakening of the earth caused by recent rains.
The five injured workers were taken to two nearby hospitals.
The tunnel, measuring 50 meters high, 50 meters wide, and 240 meters long, is
being dug through a mountain to accommodate a four-lane highway.
A group of rescue workers, including 135 firefighters, recovered the bodies of
the three workers, who were setting up a scaffolding at the top of the arch at
the time of their deaths.
Police are investigating the cause of the accident.
(END)