President Moon Jae-in ordered a thorough probe Thursday into the collapse of a five-story building that killed at least nine people, according to Cheong Wa Dae.

Eight others were injured, as debris from the building being demolished in a redevelopment project fell on a bus stopped on a nearby street in the southwestern city of Gwangju on Wednesday afternoon.

The president received briefings by phone from Interior and Safety Minister Jeon Hae-cheol and Gwangju Mayor Lee Yong-sup on the tragedy.

He instructed the authorities to look thoroughly into whether the demolition permission process was legitimate and whether there were any problems with safety measures and regulations, Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee said.

Moon also called for interagency steps to prevent the recurrence of such an accident, she added. (Yonhap)