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| Seoul-Sejong Expressway Bridge Collapse |
A tragic bridge collapse on the Seoul-Sejong Expressway (서울세종고속도로 붕괴사고) on February 25 has resulted in four fatalities and six injuries, raising serious concerns about construction safety in South Korea.
💥 Witnesses Describe the Horror of the Collapse
Residents near the accident site reported hearing a loud explosion, followed by intense shaking, causing windows to rattle violently. Many initially thought it was an earthquake before rushing outside to discover that the entire bridge had collapsed.
The scene was catastrophic, with shattered concrete slabs and twisted steel beams scattered across the site, while rescue workers searched for missing construction workers.
📹 What Caused the Bridge to Collapse?
According to eyewitnesses, the accident occurred when a specialized crane was moving a concrete beam to connect two bridge pillars. The uneven force distribution caused the beam to tilt, triggering a domino effect that brought down the entire structure in mere seconds.
🚗 Several drivers passing through the area recalled hearing multiple loud bangs just after crossing the bridge, only to turn around and see thick clouds of dust rising.
🚧 Construction & Project Details
The Seoul-Sejong Expressway spans 134 km and is divided into two segments:
🔹 Capital Region Section (Anseong-Guri, 72 km) – Opened on January 1, 2024
🔹 Non-Capital Region Section (Sejong-Anseong & Osong Branch, 62 km) – Under construction, expected completion by late 2026
The bridge collapse occurred in the Sejong-Anseong section, which was still under development.
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| 서울세종고속도로 붕괴사고 |
👮 Authorities Launch Special Investigation Team
The Gyeonggi Nambu Police have deployed a 78-member task force to investigate the cause of the collapse. Police are currently interviewing construction firms involved in the project and have sealed off the accident site for safety reasons.
However, controversy arose when a Hyundai Engineering site representative abruptly left a scheduled press conference before it even started—and is now reportedly unreachable.
📢 Hyundai Engineering later issued a statement, promising full cooperation with authorities and pledging to take corrective actions.
🏗️ Hyundai Engineering’s Troubling Track Record
Hyundai Engineering has faced mounting criticism for safety issues in recent years.
📊 According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, Hyundai Engineering topped the list of construction firms with the most defects between March and August 2023, recording 118 defects across 2,343 housing units.
🔍 Experts Point to Possible Construction Errors
Experts believe faulty installation of steel beams may have triggered the collapse. Steel beams support the weight of the bridge and connect key structural pillars.
🔸 Incorrect beam placement or imbalanced weight distribution can lead to catastrophic failures.
🔸 Given the bridge’s height, a specialized launcher crane was used instead of conventional cranes, making precision even more critical.
⚠️ Bridge Collapses in Korea – A Recurring Problem?
🚨 South Korea has seen multiple bridge collapses due to human error.
🔻 In April 2023, a similar bridge collapse occurred at a construction site in Siheung due to poor safety measures and lack of clear instructions from the contractor.
Experts are now demanding a full-scale investigation into the Seoul-Sejong bridge collapse to prevent future tragedies.
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