Park Dae-young, president and CEO of Samsung Heavy Industries, apologized Tuesday for a shipyard accident Monday that killed six people and injured 25 others in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province.

He said there will be a thorough investigation into the exact causes of the incident.

“I would like to express my sincerest sympathy and apology to the bereaved families and to those who suffered injuries,” said Kim Hyo-seop, vice president at Samsung Heavy Industries, apologizing at a press conference on behalf of Park, who was on a business trip to Houston, Texas.

“I take full responsibility for the incident and we will thoroughly disclose the cause of the accident,” he said, adding that he planned to visit Geoje on Tuesday evening to investigate the matter himself.

“I will make every effort to prevent such accidents by eliminating any potential future dangers throughout the shipyard so that the lives lost will not be in vain.”

The accident occurred when two cranes collided at Samsung Heavy’s shipyard in Geoje, Monday.

According to the police, the collision caused a piece from one of the crane structures to collapse onto a ship that was under construction. The broken-off structure was estimated to weigh roughly 32 metric tons and to be between 50 and 60 meters long.

According to the company, the shipyard workers were working on the construction of an oil platform for a French energy company when the incident occurred.

Police officials announced they will be investigating whether Samsung Heavy fully complied with all governmental safety and security regulations for shipping yard sites. The investigation will also look into whether the accident was a result of human error by the crane drivers.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)