By Kim Tae-jong
A member of the National 119 Rescue Service died and a colleague sustained serious injury as they fell off a fire truck ladder-lift while working to remove large icicles on a high-rise apartment building.
The accident happened Saturday when they were removing icicles hanging from the veranda of a 14th floor apartment in Gwangju, South Jeolla Province.
The 36-year-old rescuer, Lee, and his 28-year-old colleague, Noh, were in a cage on top of the ladder-truck when a metal cable linking the cage and the ladder suddenly snapped and they fell 20 meters to the ground.
They were immediately transferred to a nearby hospital but Lee was pronounced dead, while Noh suffered a broken leg.
The dated equipment used by the rescue service is being blamed for the accident as the ladder-truck has reportedly been in use since 1992.