A group of children and teachers narrowly avoided what could have been a horrible accident last week when the roof of a classroom collapsed at a child care center in Bangbae-dong, Seoul.
Eleven students, from age 1 to 3, used the classroom in which the roof caved in. It was pure chance that the children had just stepped out of the room, led by their teachers, to wash their hands before lunch. The accident could have led to the tragic deaths of teachers and young lives. On the day of the accident, a total of 26 children were in attendance at the center where 36 children are registered.
The child care center is located in a two-story brick house with a basement that was built in 1977. In 2008, a privately run child care center was given a license to operate on the premises. According to an initial investigation, the accident was caused by remodeling of the house seven years ago ― conducted to earn certification for the child care center.
To enlarge the space, the doorway to the room was removed, which, in turn, weakened the support for the ceiling above. In brick houses without pillars, doorways function as a type of support, bearing the weight of the ceiling. Engineers expressed surprise that the building had stood for so long without collapsing ― the house was already 31 years old when it underwent renovation that weakened the structure.
As of end of last year, there are more than 6,700 child care centers in Seoul looking after nearly 250,000 young children, from infants to age 6. However, no figures are available on the age of the buildings where these facilities are located.
Relaxation of regulations concerning child care facilities in 2011 made it easier to open child care centers. Such easing of regulations should be accompanied by strict enforcement of safety measures. Yet, a recent Board of Audit and Inspection check on 43 child care centers located on fourth and fifth floors of buildings ― allowed since 2011 ― found that more than half of the centers were not equipped with proper facilities against fire, such as fireproof doors for kitchens and fire escape staircases. Easing of regulations should not come at the expense of safety. And when it comes to children, no amount of safety precautions is excessive.
