South Korean prosecutors to investigate deadly Seoul overpass collapse
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Three people were killed and three others were injured in the accident.
PHOTO: EPA
SEOUL – A team of prosecutors in South Korea will investigate the overpass collapse in Seoul on May 26 that killed three people and injured three others, the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office said on May 27.
Four prosecutors and six investigators will probe the deadly incident to determine the cause and identify those responsible, while providing swift support for the victims.
“The special team will cooperate with the police from the warrant application stage to make sure the investigation runs as smoothly as possible,” officials said.
The overpass, which was in the process of being demolished, collapsed at around 2.31pm (1.31pm Singapore time), killing three men, identified as the chief supervisor of an engineering company, the site manager and an outside expert. Three other construction workers sustained injuries.
The authorities are still calculating the property damage caused by the accident.
A forensic examination by police, the National Forensic Service, the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency and other related agencies was conducted at the site of the accident in Seodaemun-gu, western Seoul, from midnight to 4am. They are looking into whether there were any safety violations related to the demolition and whether warning signs had been ignored.
Officials from the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the construction company could face criminal charges if investigators find violations of safety manuals or safety laws, police said.
The ageing overpass had been in use for decades since it was built in 1966, and the city began work to tear down and rebuild it in 2025. It was slated to be completely demolished later in 2026 and reconstructed by 2028.
Railway services in the Seoul area were disrupted, including the suspension and rerouting of more than 120 KTX high-speed trains, because debris fell on the tracks and damaged power lines between Seoul Station and Sinchon Station.
KTX services between Seoul and Haengsin Station in Goyang, north-west of Seoul, have been suspended due to repair work.
Several KTX trains have undergone route changes, including trains on the Gyeongbu and Honam lines, which connect Seoul to southern cities including Busan and Mokpo. The Gyeongjeon, Donghae and Jeolla lines have also been subject to suspensions or route changes.
Korail has temporarily implemented measures requiring some KTX trains to stop at all stations, including those they normally pass through.
According to railway authorities, only 80.8 per cent of all trains were operating on May 27. Mugunghwa trains on the Gyeongbu Line will operate only between Daejeon and Busan, along with trains on other lines.
To ease overcrowding at Seoul Station, passengers originally headed to Haengsin are encouraged to take alternative routes.
Korail said it will resume full train operations after repairs by the city government are completed and safety checks on facilities and power supply systems are finished. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
