South Korea: 4 dead in bridge collapse
Seoul: At least four construction workers were killed and several others were injured when a piece of elevated highway collapsed on Tuesday in South Korea. Some of those injured were in serious condition at a local hospital.
Officials said that two of the deceased were Chinese nationals, and two were South Korean. One of the wounded workers is also Chinese.
The bridge in Anseong, about 65 kilometres (40 miles) south of the capital Seoul, was still being built when the 50-meter-long beams holding it up crashed to the ground.
Local fire official Ko Kyung-man told a televised press conference that the builders "were working to install a deck on the bridge."
"All of the 10 were up on the deck... and fell from both sides when it collapsed," he said.
Authorities said that the cause of the incident could not immediately be determined.
Hyundai Engineering, the lead contractor for the construction project, issued a statement saying: "We sincerely bow our heads in apology to those who lost their precious lives and were injured in the accident at our construction site. We are actively cooperating with the relevant authorities to ensure a prompt resolution on-site."
Acting President Choi Sang-mok told relevant agencies to mobilise all available personnel and equipment to the site of the collapse.
Later, the National Fire Agency said it had sent 150 emergency workers to the scene, while the Transport Ministry said it had also dispatched several officials.
According to South Korea's Labour Ministry, between the years 2020 and 2023, at least 8,000 people died in work-related incidents. Legislation was enacted in 2022 to try and address widespread safety issues, but fatalities have persisted.
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