Gwangju: Rescue authorities have increased their efforts to locate two workers trapped under debris at a collapsed library construction site. The search operation is in its second day, following the collapse of the structure in Gwangju, approximately 300 kilometers south of Seoul.

According to Yonhap News Agency, initial reports indicate that four workers were trapped when the library structure collapsed. Firefighters have managed to recover two of the workers; unfortunately, one was declared dead at the scene, and the other succumbed to injuries at the hospital.

Authorities believe the collapse may have occurred while workers were pouring concrete on the rooftop of the two-story structure. Rescue teams have employed thermal-imaging cameras in their search for the missing workers and are taking precautions to stabilize the site to prevent further collapses.

The search is proving challenging as the concrete has hardened amid the rubble, complicating rescue efforts. "While we conducted an overnight search to quickly find those trapped, we have yet to determine their location," stated a fire official. "We will continue to focus on search and rescue operations."

The library, under construction by the Gwangju metropolitan government, is being built on the site of a former waste incineration plant.