๊At least four people were killed and six others injured following a tragic collapse at a highway construction site south of Seoul, South Korea, on Tuesday morning, fire authorities confirmed.
According to a report by news agency Reuters, ꦰthe incident occurred at 9:49 am local time (6:19 am IST) in Anseong. The accident spot is located approximately 70 kilometres (43.5 miles) from South Korea’s capital city Seoul.
South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency🐓 reported that five 50-meter (164 feet) concrete structures, which were being hoisted into place by a crane to support a bridge, collapsed one after the other.
Ko Kyung-man, a fire official from Anseong, stated that the victims included two Chinese nationals. Of the six injured, five remain in critical condition, including one Chinese citizen. “They were working to install a deck on the bridge,” Reuters🍌 quoted Kyung-man as he explained in a televised briefing. “All of the 10 were up on the deck and fell from both sides when it collapsed.”
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💜Dramatic footage aired by YTN showed the bridge’s towering deck crumbling at the construction site, while rescue workers combed through twisted metal struts and shattered concrete slabs beneath the bridge’s columns.
꧑Acting President Choi Sang-mok swiftly ordered the mobilisation of all available personnel and resources to aid in the search and rescue efforts and to implement safety measures to prevent further damage, according to his office. The National Fire Agency reported that it had deployed three helicopters and nearly 150 officials to the scene, with the Ministry of Transport also sending a team of officials to assist.
🌌South Korea has seen a series of deadly incidents in recent months, despite recent legislative efforts to address safety issues. In 2022, the country passed a law aimed at penalising company management when workers are killed on the job.
Earlier this month, six people perished in a fire at a hotel construction site in Busan, and in June of 2024, a fire at a lithium battery factory claimed the lives of 23 workers. According to data from South Korea’s labour ministry, 598 industrial workers died in 2023, with the construction sector accounting for nearly half of the fatalities, Reuters reported.
