Police form 33-member task force to investigate Daegu ceiling collapse

The Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency has formed a dedicated investigation task force after ceiling finishing materials collapsed inside a commercial building in Daegu, injuring 38 people.

The agency set up the task force Saturday, with the head of the metropolitan investigation unit serving as team leader. The 33-member team includes officers from the agency's serious industrial accident investigation unit, forensic science unit and victim protection team.

Police plan to conduct a joint on-site inspection with the National Forensic Service and other relevant agencies at around 9 a.m. Sunday to determine the cause of the accident.

"We plan to investigate whether there were structural defects or failures to implement safety measures through interviews with those involved," a police official said.

The accident occurred at around 10:16 a.m. Saturday, when part of the suspended ceiling — a finishing structure installed beneath the main ceiling — on the second floor of a four-story building in Gwaneumdong, Buk-gu, gave way.

At the time, a company was selling kitchenware and other goods to elderly customers on the second floor. All 66 people present evacuated the building when the ceiling came down.

Thirty-eight people sustained minor injuries in the incident, nine of whom were taken to hospital. All were reported to be in stable condition.

The building was constructed in 1994. A food and grocery store that had been operating on the ground floor suspended business at the end of last month.