Lessons From Tragedy: Understanding the Sampoong Department Store and Rana Plaza Disasters

Support columns were altered or removed to create open retail space
Additional floors were added beyond the original plan
Heavy mechanical systems, including air-conditioning units, were relocated to unsuitable structural areas
Engineers and contractors raised concerns about the safety of these modifications. However, many of these warnings were ignored or not properly addressed.

Over time, stress on the building increased, and visible cracks began to appear in key structural areas. Despite these warning signs, operations continued as normal.

The Day of the Collapse
On June 29, 1995, the building was still open to the public even though structural damage had become increasingly visible. That afternoon, thousands of people were inside the department store, unaware of the danger.

At approximately 5:52 PM, the structure began to fail. Within moments, floors collapsed downward in a chain reaction, resulting in one of the deadliest building failures in modern history. Hundreds of lives were lost, and many more people were injured.