SEOUL — Three people were killed and at least four others were injured when an overpass collapsed during demolition work in western Seoul on Monday, South Korean officials said, in what authorities described as a catastrophic construction-site failure.
The incident occurred at approximately 2:40 p.m. local time at a major overpass structure in the Guro district, a heavily industrialised area southwest of the city centre. Emergency crews responded within minutes, deploying heavy rescue equipment to search for workers feared trapped under the debris.
Video footage circulating on South Korean social media showed a section of the elevated roadway giving way without warning, sending a plume of dust and concrete chunks cascading onto the street below. At least one vehicle appeared to have been struck by falling debris.
The Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Headquarters said three bodies had been recovered by late afternoon. Four people were taken to nearby hospitals with injuries that officials said were not believed to be life-threatening. Rescue workers warned the death toll could rise as operations at the site continued into the evening.
President Yoon Suk-yeol’s office issued a statement ordering an immediate emergency inspection of all major public infrastructure demolition and construction projects underway in the capital. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety dispatched a senior disaster response official to the scene.
Authorities have opened a formal investigation into the incident. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said detectives were working to determine whether safety protocols were followed and whether the contractor responsible for the demolition held the required permits and insurance. No arrests had been made as of publication time.
Guro district officials said the overpass had been scheduled for dismantling as part of a broader urban highway realignment project. It was not immediately clear whether the structure had been deemed structurally sound enough to permit continued use of lanes beneath it during the demolition work.
South Korea has experienced a string of serious construction accidents in recent years, prompting repeated government pledges to tighten safety standards. In 2022, a highway bridge collapse in Seoul killed two people and injured several others. A 2023 tunnel accident on a major expressway north of the capital left one worker dead.
The timing of Monday’s collapse — during the late afternoon rush hour in a dense commercial district — raised particular concern. The area surrounding the Guro overpass includes a mix of warehouses, small factories and residential blocks, and at least one elementary school is located within a kilometre of the site.
Families of workers employed at the site gathered at a nearby community centre as night fell, some being briefed by rescue coordinators. Officials said a temporary morgue had been established at a municipal gymnasium nearby.
Mayor Oh Se-hoon visited the scene in the early evening, bowing his head before assembled rescue workers. “There will be a full and transparent investigation,” he told reporters. “If negligence is found, we will hold those responsible fully accountable without exception.”
— Kenji Tanaka, Media Hook