At least four people have died and six others were injured when a gigantic bridge fell in South Korea. The victims of the tragic bridge collapse accident around 9:50 AM on Tuesday were construction workers.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Dashcam footage captured the terrifying moment when the bridge caved in on itself in Anseong, a city south of Seoul. Local news outlet Yonhap reported that five 50-meter steel support structures fell after a crane hoisted them. They also claimed eight construction workers were below the bridge when it fell.
Bridge Collapse In South Korea Kills Four, Injures Six
The footage showed a vehicle driving away from the bridge, catching proof of the accident not too far behind them. According to the National Fire Agency (NFA), five of the six injured workers were in critical condition. Other reports believe that seven were injured.
"All individuals who suffered injuries are currently being treated at hospitals," said a spokesperson of the NFA. They also said that the authorities were continuously searching for buried victims. Rescue workers were, and could still be, hard at work trying to find any survivors.
Choi Sang-mok, the acting president of South Korea, has now called to mobilize all available personnel and resources to help rescue the missing people, according to The Guardian.
As per the Daily Mail, the main contractor for the construction site, Hyundai Engineering, has issued an apology. "We sincerely bow our heads in apology to those who lost their precious lives and were injured in the accident at our construction site," it said.
"We are actively cooperating with the relevant authorities to ensure a prompt resolution on-site and to identify the cause of the accident."
Bridge collapses can be deadly, whether they're small or humungous structures. Just last November, a bridge collapsed and trapped a man under his tractor in a creek. The good news is that the victim survived, but when it comes to large bridges, these accidents are far more fatal.
South Korea is also no stranger to deadly work accidents. According to Statista, around 2,000 South Korean workers in 2023 died in work-related accidents. While this number was better than the year before that, those numbers are still high.
