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Police refer Incheon manhole accident suspects to prosecution after two deaths
En breve
Police in Incheon said they referred suspects to the prosecution office over a manhole accident that killed two workers in July last year, including the former head of the Incheon Environmental Corporation. Yonhap reported 18 people were sent, while three other outlets reported 20. The charges include occupational negligence causing death and bid interference.
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Police in Incheon said they referred suspects to the prosecution office over a manhole accident that killed two workers, among them the former head of the Incheon Environmental Corporation. Yonhap reported that 18 people were sent, while Kukmin Ilbo, Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo all reported 20. Yonhap said those referred included four former and current corporation employees, six officials of related companies and eight people who lent out certificates, booked without detention on charges of occupational negligence causing death and bid interference. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
The accident took place on July 6 last year at about 09:22 in Byeongbang-dong, Gyeyang-gu, Incheon, according to Dong-A Ilbo. Yonhap reported that a re-subcontractor’s CEO and a day labourer died while surveying a sewage pipe inside the manhole; Dong-A Ilbo said the two died after being poisoned by toxic gas during a project to build a geographic information system database for sewage pipes, ordered by the Incheon Environmental Corporation. [ 3 , 4 ]
Yonhap reported that three corporation employees and three service company officials did not assign a supervisor even though confined-space work such as manhole entry requires on-site oversight. It said the work passed through multiple layers of subcontracting: the corporation banned subcontracting in its task order, but the service company subcontracted the work, and its subcontractor re-subcontracted to the company run by the victim. [ 3 ]
The same report said police confirmed the corporation’s former head leaked bid information in advance to the service company’s CEO, and that the service company illegally re-subcontracted other corporation work to unregistered firms. Police also referred people who lent bank accounts to unregistered companies and two contractors that carried out survey work without qualifications, and asked the labour ministry to revoke their certificates. Dong-A Ilbo reported that the former head was found to have concentrated work at a company run by an acquaintance in his 50s. [ 3 , 4 ]
Separately, Yonhap reported that the regional employment and labour office plans to book the corporation’s current head on charges of violating the Serious Accidents Punishment Act and send the case to the prosecution office soon, and that the corporation itself will be referred under joint penalty provisions. More people are to be sent over alleged violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. [ 3 ]
A police official said, according to Yonhap: “We will hold the ordering party and management, who must actually manage risk, strictly criminally responsible so that complacency about safety at industrial sites can be ended,” adding that police would keep tracking the entrenched re-subcontracting structure. [ 3 ]
Por qué importa
The case turns on how far criminal liability reaches up the contracting chain, with police saying they will pursue the party that ordered the work and its management. It also focuses attention on multi-layer subcontracting in public works in Incheon, a structure police said they would keep tracking.
Datos clave
- Two workers died after entering a manhole in Byeongbang-dong, Gyeyang-gu, Incheon on July 6 last year. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Police referred Incheon Environmental Corporation officials and others to the prosecution office over the accident. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The former head of the Incheon Environmental Corporation is among those referred. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- The charges include occupational negligence causing death and bid interference. [ 3 , 4 ]
- Police found that three corporation employees and three contractor officials did not assign a supervisor for the confined-space work. [ 3 ]
- Police said the former head leaked bid information in advance to a service company CEO. [ 3 ]
- The labor office plans to separately refer the corporation’s current head under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. [ 3 ]
Confirmado por varias fuentes
- Two workers died in the Incheon manhole accident. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Police sent Incheon Environmental Corporation officials and others to the prosecution office over the case. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The accident happened on July 6 last year in Byeongbang-dong, Gyeyang-gu, Incheon. [ 3 , 4 ]
- The former head of the Incheon Environmental Corporation is among those referred. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- The suspects face charges including occupational negligence causing death and bid interference. [ 3 , 4 ]
Aún sin aclarar
- Whether 18 or 20 people were sent to the prosecution office. Yonhap reported 18 people, while Kukmin Ilbo, Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo reported 20.
- The exact cause of the workers’ deaths. Dong-A Ilbo said they were poisoned by toxic gas inside the manhole; the other documents do not state a cause.
- When the corporation’s current head and the corporation itself will be sent to the prosecution office. Yonhap, an official outlet, reported the labor office plans to refer them soon, without giving a date; no other document covers this.