A 100°C 'boiling-water pit' opens up on a road in Seoul's Magok-dong; passerby in his 40s who fell in is in critical condition

[Financial News] An accident occurred in Magok-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, when a heat transmission pipe carrying scalding hot water at temperatures above 100°C burst. A passerby in his 40s fell into a hole formed when the ground collapsed and suffered severe burns, while heating to around 9,000 nearby households was cut off, leaving residents to endure considerable inconvenience throughout the night.
According to fire authorities and the Gangseo-gu Office on the 7th, a heat transmission pipe buried beneath a road near an apartment complex in Magok-dong, Gangseo-gu, burst at around 8:18 p.m. on the 6th. The surrounding ground collapsed, forming a pit and causing one traffic light to topple, while hot steam billowed up from several spots along the road.
In particular, at around 1 a.m. on the 7th, a man in his 40s, identified as A, suffered a terrible accident when he fell into a deep hole created by the ruptured heat transmission pipe as he was passing the scene. Hot water supplied by combined heat and power plants for district heating typically reaches 100–110°C, making pipe ruptures highly likely to lead to major accidents. A suffered second- to third-degree burns over 60% of his body and was taken to hospital in critical condition. He is currently receiving intensive treatment in the intensive care unit. One Seoul Energy Corporation employee involved in the response at the scene also suffered minor burns to a foot after stepping into a puddle of hot water.
In addition, the hot-water and heating supply to all 8,965 nearby households was cut off at once because of the accident, forcing residents to spend the night in the cold.
Seoul Energy Corporation carried out emergency repairs overnight and finished the work at around 8:45 a.m. on the 7th, about 11 hours after the accident occurred. The Gangseo-gu Office and other relevant authorities are investigating the exact cause, including possible deterioration of the pipes.
[email protected] Park Ji-hyun Reporter