The Supreme Prosecutors Office (SPO) on Wednesday ordered the launch of a joint investigation into a construction site accident in Gwangju in which six people remain unaccounted for.

Six workers were unaccounted for after a facade of a high-rise apartment building under construction in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul, collapsed Tuesday, according to police.

The SPO said it ordered the Gwangju District Prosecutors Office, the city's police agency and the regional labor office to form a joint headquarters to thoroughly investigate the accident.

The office said it plans to sternly deal with those responsible for the accident by thoroughly and swiftly probing the case.

On Tuesday, three people trapped in a container were rescued, and one of them was taken to a hospital for injuries.

Rescue workers have temporarily stopped searching the rubble for any other victims due to concerns that remains of the facade and a tower crane could collapse.

Authorities are currently reviewing whether to resume the search after conducting safety checks. (Yonhap)