Four people were killed and six others injured on Tuesday when a highway bridge construction site collapsed south of Seoul, South Korea’s capital.
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The accident occurred at 9:49 a.m. local time in Anseong, approximately 43.5 miles from Seoul. According to Yonhap News Agency via NBC News, five 164-foot concrete structures supporting a highway bridge collapsed sequentially after being hoisted into position by a crane.
Ko Kyung-man, a fire official from Anseong, reported that four people, including two Chinese nationals, had tragically lost their lives. Additionally, six others were injured, five of whom are in critical condition. Among the critically injured is another Chinese citizen.
“They were working to install a deck on the bridge,” Ko explained in a press conference, per NBC NEWS. “All of the 10 were up on the deck … and fell from both sides when it collapsed.”
Harrowing dashcam footage widely shared on social media shows the shocking moment the bridge collapsed.
The Chinese Embassy in #SouthKorea has confirmed on Tuesday that two Chinese workers were killed in a bridge collapse on a highway under construction in South Korea. The embassy has sent consular staff to the scene to visit and sympathize with the injured, and hopes that in the… pic.twitter.com/5zhqAgxkEL
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) February 25, 2025
The National Fire Agency reported deploying three helicopters and nearly 150 personnel to assist in the search and rescue efforts. Meanwhile, the Transport Ministry confirmed sending a team of officials to the site to support the operation.
Contractor Issues Statement Following Bridge Collapse
Rescue workers at the scene were spotted inspecting broken metal beams and cracked concrete slabs beneath the highway bridge columns.
A bridge collapse at a South Korean construction site leaves several people dead https://t.co/9SZtD6XP7T pic.twitter.com/OkK0z2fgnQ
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 25, 2025
Meanwhile, Hyundai Engineering, the primary contractor overseeing the construction project, released a statement following the bridge collapse.
“We sincerely bow our heads in apology to those who lost their precious lives and were injured in the accident at our construction site. We are actively cooperating with the relevant authorities to ensure a prompt resolution on-site,” the company said, per DW.com.
South Korea’s Labor Ministry reports that over 8,000 people died in work-related incidents between 2020 and 2023. Although new safety laws were introduced in 2022, workplace fatalities have continued.
In February, a tragic incident claimed the lives of six workers at a hotel construction site in the coastal city of Busan.