At least six people are missing and dozens of nearby households were forced to evacuate after the partial collapse of a high-rise apartment building under construction in the South Korean city of Gwangju, emergency officials said.
Jo Ho-ik, a fire department official, said rescue workers temporarily stopped searching in the evening for the missing people — believed to be construction workers on the site — because of concerns that the structure could crumble further.
He said workers could resume searching on Wednesday depending on a safety inspection.
Emergency workers rescued three labourers, including two who had been trapped in a shipping container pounded by rubble, after the exterior wall of the 39-floor structure partially collapsed on Tuesday afternoon.
One of the workers who were rescued was treated for minor injuries.
The collapse destroyed at least 10 vehicles parked below and forced emergency officials to evacuate 109 families and around 90 shops in nearby buildings.
Officials are investigating the cause of the collapse.
They said 394 workers had been employed at the construction site, including the six who remain out of contact.
