Collapse at Cheonan Expressway construction site... 3 dead, 5 injured

A collapse accident occurred at a highway construction site in Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungnam, resulting in 8 workers either dead or injured.

At around 9:49 AM on the 25th, during bridge construction work on the Seoul-Sejong Expressway connecting the Ansan and Yongin sections in the Doryim-ri 54-4 area, Cheonan-si, Seobuk-gu, five 50-meter-long steel structures (beams) supporting the bridge collapsed one after another.

As of 11:20 AM on this day, it is reported that 8 people working below the bridge were buried in the accident, resulting in 3 deaths and 5 injuries.

On this day, the Fire Department announced that at approximately 9:49 a.m., they received a report of a collapse accident at a highway construction site near Dorim-ri, Ipjang-myeon, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungnam, and issued a national fire mobilization order due to concerns about multiple casualties.

The national fire mobilization order is to mobilize firefighting forces across the country to respond comprehensively at the national level when there is a significant risk of disaster occurring or when a disaster has already occurred, and the firefighting capacity of the affected province or city is insufficient to handle the situation.

Currently, Gyeonggi Fire Department, Chungbuk Fire Department, and the Central 119 Rescue Headquarters have responded to the scene. Earlier, the Fire Department announced a second stage of firefighting response at 10:03 AM, and 12 minutes later, issued a national firefighting mobilization order.

The Acting Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety in Gogi-dong issued an urgent order on the same day, stating, "Relevant agencies such as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the Fire Service, the National Police Agency, Chungcheongnam-do Province, and Cheonan City should mobilize all available equipment and personnel to focus entirely on rescue efforts, and should pay special attention to prevent safety accidents among firefighters."