An under construction bridge collapsed on an expressway in Cheonan, South Korea, on Tuesday morning, killing three workers and injuring five others, news agency Yonhap reported. The incident occurred at 9.49am (local time) on the Seoul-Sejong highway, located in Dorim-ri, South Chungcheong Province, around 82 kilometres south of Seoul. Authorities confirmed that five 50-metre steel supports of the bridge gave way during construction, leading to the collapse.
Firefighters and rescue teams were immediately mobilised to the scene, as several workers were believed to be trapped beneath the debris. Footage from local media showed a massive cloud of smoke rising from the site, as emergency teams worked to locate and rescue those still missing.
Acting President Choi Sang-mok ordered all available resources to be deployed, directing the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the National Fire Agency, and other agencies to assist with the rescue and search operations. While five individuals were injured, their conditions remain unclear, and authorities continue to investigate the cause of the collapse.