A ladder truck being used to move furniture into an apartment building in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, tipped over and crushed a 7-year-old boy who was playing on a playground in the complex. The child was taken to a hospital in cardiac arrest and later regained breathing, but has not regained consciousness.
The ladder truck fell on its side at about 8:38 a.m. on the 26th at an apartment complex in Sinbu-dong, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan, according to the South Chungcheong Fire Headquarters and police.
The moving company had been extending the ladder along the building's exterior wall to lift household goods to the 11th floor of the 28-story building. The ladder lost its balance during the process and collapsed onto a playground inside the complex, pinning the 7-year-old elementary school student, identified only by the surname A.
Firefighters who responded to the emergency call performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation and other first aid on the boy, who was in cardiac arrest. He regained breathing but remained unconscious as he was rushed to Dankook University Hospital, where he is being treated.
Police are investigating the cause of the accident, questioning the ladder truck operator and officials from the moving company. Investigators plan to check whether safety rules were followed, including whether the outriggers that stabilize the truck were properly installed and secured on the ground.
Police plan to book those involved at the scene on charges of causing injury through professional negligence.
