3 Dead After Overpass Collapses While Workers Were Inspecting Safety Issue

A demolition project in the heart of Seoul turned deadly Tuesday when part of a decades-old highway overpass suddenly collapsed, killing three workers and injuring three others.

The disaster unfolded around 2:30 p.m. local time on May 26 at the Seosomun Overpass, a structure that had stood in South Korea’s capital since 1966 and had been marked for demolition after years of aging infrastructure concerns.

Officials said crews were working on the railway section of the overpass when something went wrong. Workers had been cutting concrete slabs when one section reportedly began to sink, a warning sign that prompted the work to stop.

A safety inspection was then launched.

That is when the situation turned catastrophic.

According to local reports, part of the bridge structure gave way during the inspection, sending debris crashing down onto workers and vehicles below. A source with Seoul’s municipal government told The Chosun Daily that a girder, the beam supporting the slab, appeared to snap suddenly, bringing down the slab and scaffolding with it.

Three men in their 50s and 60s were killed. They were among 12 workers at the site when the collapse happened.

Three other people were injured and taken for medical treatment.

The collapse immediately caused major disruption in one of Seoul’s busiest transportation areas. Officials blocked traffic around the site and suspended some railway operations to Seoul Station as emergency crews searched the wreckage.

The Seoul Municipal Government also said bus routes passing through the area were temporarily rerouted to reduce congestion and avoid further disruption.

The Seosomun Overpass had been undergoing demolition work since September. The aging structure was reportedly being taken down because of long-running safety concerns, including falling debris and previous incidents tied to its deteriorating condition.

The deadly collapse is now raising urgent questions about how a demolition site already flagged for structural danger could turn into a fatal work zone.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung offered condolences to the victims’ families and called for a full investigation into what caused the collapse. He also urged officials to take steps to prevent a similar tragedy from happening again.

The incident comes as infrastructure safety remains a global concern, especially in cities where aging bridges, overpasses and transit structures are being repaired, replaced or torn down while workers and commuters remain nearby.

For the families of the three men killed, the investigation will not undo the horror of what happened. But it may answer the question now hanging over Seoul: was this a freak accident, or a preventable failure at a site everyone already knew was dangerous?