Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Activates Response Headquarters for Anseong Highway Construction Site Collapse

by Choi Seoyoon

Published 25 Feb.2025 14:21(KST)

Updated 25 Feb.2025 14:28(KST)

Minister Park Sang-woo: "Rescuing Lives Is the Top Priority"

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 25th that it has formed an accident response headquarters led by Minister Park Sang-woo to respond to the collapse accident at the Seoul-Sejong Expressway construction site in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province.

Immediately after the accident, Minister Park instructed, "Above all, we must rescue the workers and prevent any further accidents caused by additional collapses," and added, "Cooperate with related agencies such as the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the National Fire Agency, the National Police Agency, Chungnam Province, Cheonan City, and Korea Expressway Corporation to ensure thorough management of the accident site."

On the 25th, at the construction site of the Cheonyongcheon Bridge in Section 9 of the Cheonan~Anseong segment of the Seoul-Sejong Expressway located in Sanpyeong-ri, Seoun-myeon, Anseong-si, Gyeonggi Province, 4 to 5 deck slabs placed on the bridge piers fell and were destroyed on the ground. Yonhap News

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport reported that Deputy Minister Baek Won-guk, Director Lee Woo-je of the Road Bureau, and President Ham Jin-gyu of Korea Expressway Corporation have moved to the site to manage the accident response.

At around 9:49 a.m. that day, a structure above a bridge at the Seoul-Sejong Expressway construction site in Sanpyeong-ri, Seoun-myeon, Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, collapsed. According to the Chungnam Fire Headquarters, out of 10 workers on site, 3 died and 7 were seriously injured. The accident site is adjacent to Dorim-ri, Ipjang-myeon, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan City, Chungnam Province.

The collapse accident at the Seoul-Sejong Expressway construction site on the 25th. Photo by Yonhap News