[Anchor]

A house located on a steep slope in Busan collapsed early this morning, July 2. The structure was an aging building slated for demolition, and it appears to have been further weakened by the rain that fell the previous day. As the monsoon season begins, concerns are mounting over the safety management of buildings situated on steep slopes.

KNN reporter Ha Young-kwang has the story.

[Reporter]

The stone wall beneath the building crumbles like sand.

Moments later, the exterior wall of the building collapses as if it were melting away.

The building, now riddled with a massive hole, barely maintains its shape, and the surrounding area has been left in total disarray.

This is the scene of the accident.

As the floor of the house completely gave way, household items such as an air conditioner and daily necessities spilled out.

The collapse occurred at approximately 5:30 a.m. today.

The cause is attributed to the ground being weakened by the rain that continued through yesterday, combined with the fact that the area is a site where groundwater flows.

Fortunately, there were no casualties, as the local district office had issued a prior emergency evacuation order for nearby homes.

However, residents are expressing extreme anxiety as collapse accidents, both large and small, have been recurring, including an incident three years ago where a retaining wall at an adjacent building gave way.

[Nearby Resident: My heart is pounding. Oh my, what would have happened if it had collapsed next door while people were inside?]

The building was confirmed to be an unauthorized structure built in 1979, and it was scheduled for demolition the following day.

[Lim Gyeong-jin, Head of Disaster Safety Division, Seo-gu, Busan: Since there are so many areas we manage as disaster-prone, there are limitations in being able to look after every single house in every corner.]

Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo also visited the site before holding a meeting to inspect preparations for summer natural disasters, urging caution.

[Jeon Jae-soo, Mayor of Busan: The most important thing is safety. Because we do not know when or at what point torrential rain might pour down unexpectedly, I ask for your special attention.]

With the possibility of the late monsoon season intensifying, it appears that fundamental measures are needed to address aging and neglected buildings.

(Video by Jeon Jae-hyun, KNN)

Reported by Ha Young-kwang, KNN