At least four people were killed and six injured Tuesday after a tragic collapse at a highway construction site south of Seoul, fire authorities reported.
The accident occurred at 9:49 a.m. (12:49 a.m. GMT) in Anseong, about 70 kilometers (43.5 miles) from the South Korean capital.
Five 50-meter (164-foot) concrete structures, lifted into place by a crane, collapsed one after another, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Ko Kyung-man, a fire official from Anseong, confirmed the fatalities, including two Chinese nationals, and reported that six people were injured, five of whom were in critical condition, including one other Chinese citizen.
“They were installing a deck on the bridge,” Ko said in a televised briefing. “All 10 were on the deck and fell from both sides when it collapsed.”
Dramatic footage aired by broadcaster YTN showed the deck of the towering bridge collapsing at the construction site.
Rescue workers at the site were seen examining twisted metal struts and fractured concrete slabs beneath the columns of the highway bridge.
Acting President Choi Sang-mok called for the mobilization of all available personnel and resources to rescue any missing people and ensure safety measures to prevent further damage, his office said.
The National Fire Agency said it had mobilized three helicopters and nearly 150 officials for the search and rescue operation, and the Transport Ministry said it had dispatched a team of officials to the scene.
Deadly accidents continue to occur regularly at industrial sites in South Korea, which introduced a law in 2022 to address safety lapses and punish company management if a worker is killed on the job.
Earlier in February, six people died in a fire at a hotel construction site in the port city of Busan, with around 100 people evacuated, including 14 workers plucked to safety by helicopter after taking refuge on a rooftop.
In June of last year, a fire at a lithium battery factory, blamed on quality control failures and inadequate safety training, killed 23 workers.
Data released in March by South Korea’s labor ministry showed that 598 industrial workers died in 2023, with the construction sector accounting for nearly half, or 303. The total death toll was down from 644 in 2022.
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