A section of a highway under construction collapsed in the city of Anseong, South Korea, on Tuesday, resulting in the deaths of four workers and injuries to six others, according to fire authorities. The accident occurred when five steel structures supporting an elevated part of the highway bridge gave way, causing the structures to fall and bury the workers in debris.

The National Fire Agency reported that 10 workers were on the site in Anseong, approximately 65 kilometers (40 miles) south of the capital, Seoul, at the moment of the collapse, which happened at around 9:49 AM (00:49 GMT). The exact reason for the collapse has not been determined.

Following the incident, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport deployed a team to the site to investigate. Hyundai Engineering, the construction company responsible for the project, issued an apology for the casualties and injuries and stated their cooperation with the investigation to determine the cause of the accident.

Figure: Rescue team searching for missing workers following a bridge collapse at a highway construction site [Source: Yonhap/AFP]

Acting President Choi Sang-mok directed authorities to mobilize all available personnel and ensure safety measures were in place to prevent further harm. Choi assumed the role of acting president in December after President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached for his brief declaration of martial law.

President Yoon faced a preliminary hearing last week on charges of attempting to incite a rebellion. He was arrested on January 15 after a standoff at his residence, marking the first time a sitting president in South Korea has been arrested.

Incidents like this continue to happen frequently at industrial sites in South Korea, which responded to such safety lapses by passing a law in 2022 that can hold company executives accountable if a worker dies on the job.

In earlier February, a fire at a hotel construction site in the port city of Busan claimed six lives, with over 100 people, including 14 workers rescued from a rooftop by a helicopter. Another tragedy occurred in June of the previous year when a fire blamed on quality control issues and insufficient safety training at a lithium battery factory killed 23 workers.

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/25/four-killed-in-south-korea-road-collapse?traffic_source=rss