Around 4,500 households in the Marine City area of Busan had no heat or gas services for three to four hours on Monday after a construction crew damaged gas lines in the city’s Haeundae district.

According to Busan City Gas and police sources, the accident occurred at 4:49 p.m. when an excavator operated by a road construction crew damaged the underground gas pipes between Marine City and Dongbaek intersection.

Emergency restoration work began around 5 p.m. and the gas supply was cut off at 5:42 p.m. to prevent an explosion or gas leak. Services were restored around 7:30 p.m.

A local resident, surnamed Kim, said, “The gas supply was cut off during a harsh cold wave, and we couldn’t heat our home or have dinner.”

District authorities and police believe the accident was the result of the gas pipes not being buried deep enough. Gas pipes are usually laid 1.5 meters below ground, but the pipes in the affected area were only 30 centimeters below ground due to the presence of a manhole.

Also, the road construction company involved in the accident did not have the necessary authorization from Busan City Gas to undertake the work.

By Lee So-jeong (xojeong2@heraldcorp.com)