A highway bridge undergoing demolition in Belgium tragically collapsed, claiming the life of one man and leaving two others injured. The incident took place on March 6 near the town of La Louvière in southern Belgium, per Reuters.
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Mayor Jacques Gobert told the outlet that a worker standing on the steel bridge at the time of its collapse tragically lost their life. Meanwhile, two others sustained injuries. The bridge deck fell onto a barge positioned beneath it, which had been anchored to collect debris.
The bridge, part of a two-bridge crossing on the E42 highway over the “Canal du Centre” canal, was closed to traffic during demolition work. It is being dismantled to make way for reconstruction, planned for next year.
A highway bridge under demolition collapsed in La Louvière, Belgium, killing one and injuring two, as part of the structure fell onto a barge below; an investigation is underway.#nocomment pic.twitter.com/E8ZOpudsMo
— NoComment (@nocomment) March 7, 2025
A spokesperson for the Sofico Wallonie local government highways agency confirmed that the other bridge had undergone renovations in recent years.
Authorities closed the renovated bridge to traffic after it collapsed at 2 p.m. Central European Time. By 6 p.m. CET, the bridge was reopened, allowing cars to travel in both directions.
The Incident Follows Another Recent Highway Bridge Collapse
The incident follows another deadly bridge collapse in Seoul, South Korea’s capital. Four people lost their lives, and six others were injured late last month when a highway bridge construction site collapsed.
The accident happened at 9:49 a.m. local time in Anseong, about 43.5 miles from Seoul. According to local news, five 164-foot concrete structures supporting a highway bridge collapsed one after another after being lifted into place by a crane.
Ko Kyung-man, a fire official from Anseong, confirmed that four people, including two Chinese nationals, tragically died. Six others were injured, with five in critical condition, including another Chinese national.
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.