A deadly accident at a water facility construction site in Seoul on Monday sparked criticism about the lax enforcement of safety protocol.

One worker was killed and six others went missing after the Hangang River suddenly flooded the underground water distribution reservoir in Noryangjin located near the river.

The workers were replacing old water pipes in the 48-meter-long tunnel.

Construction managers came under fire for failing to evacuate the workers while heavy rain hit the city.

“After I got a message that the water level was rapidly rising, I told the team leader to suspend the work. But I’m not sure if my words were delivered to all workers,” manager Park Jong-hwi said at a briefing on Tuesday.

Park also admitted that he ignored the evacuation plan for the site when the water level rose at the Paldang Dam in the upper section of the river.

The manager also acknowledged that he did not check the precipitation in Gangwon and northern Gyeonggi provinces.

Rescue operations are expected to face difficulties as torrential downpours are forecast in Seoul and the surrounding areas until Thursday.

Up to 200 millimeters of rainfall is expected to hit northern Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces.

The ruling Saenuri Party criticized Seoul City, which is responsible for supervision of the construction site.

The party insisted that the city misjudged the situation and enforced the operation despite the torrential downpours.

“We were told that the city had not known the operation was carried out on the day,” said spokesperson Rep. Min Hyun-joo.

By Lee Hyun-jeong  (rene@heraldcorp.com)