Disaster in Seoul: Three Killed as Overpass Crashes During Safety Inspection
Tragedy struck in South Korea’s capital on Tuesday after part of a deteriorating overpass under demolition suddenly collapsed during a routine safety inspection, leaving three people dead and three others injured.
The fatal incident occurred in Seoul while engineers and inspection officials were assessing the ageing structure, according to fire service and city authorities.
Emergency responders rushed to the scene as massive chunks of concrete and metal crashed onto a roadway near a railway crossing in central Seoul. Rescue teams were seen combing through the wreckage in search of victims trapped beneath the debris.
Officials disclosed that warning signs of possible structural instability had been detected overnight, leading authorities to suspend demolition work temporarily for an urgent safety evaluation. However, despite the precautionary move, the structure gave way in the afternoon while inspectors were still examining parts of the overpass.
A spokesperson for the fire department confirmed that all six victims — both the deceased and the injured — were directly involved in the inspection exercise. Those affected included senior public works officials from the city government as well as a private engineering specialist assisting with the assessment.
City authorities said the overpass, originally constructed in 1966, had already been marked for demolition due to long-standing concerns over its deteriorating condition and structural safety.
Investigators have now launched a full probe into the cause of the sudden collapse.
