A tragic incident in Seoul, South Korea claimed three lives and left three people injured on Tuesday when an aging overpass being demolished partially gave way, according to fire department officials.
The deadly incident happened while safety inspectors were examining the structure after demolition crews had stopped their work when they observed that part of the bridge had begun to sink slightly during concrete cutting operations, according to Lee Jong-woon, an official at Seoul’s Seodaemun District Fire Station. The fatalities occurred when victims were struck by falling debris and wreckage as a portion of the bridge deck suddenly gave way, authorities reported.
Law enforcement and emergency responders blocked off traffic in the surrounding area, where mangled steel supports and broken concrete pieces remained dangerously suspended from the overpass edge.
Falling debris also struck a nearby railroad line, prompting the Korea Railroad Corp. to halt certain train services to Seoul Station.
The overpass, originally constructed in 1966, had been in the demolition process since August of the previous year due to structural safety issues.
