Part of viaduct collapses in South Korea and three people die

A section of a viaduct under demolition in the South Korean capital, Seoul, collapsed on Tuesday (26), killing three people carrying out a safety inspection and injuring three others, firefighters and municipal authorities said.

Television footage showed rescuers carrying out a search and rescue operation as a long segment of the structure lay collapsed in the street near a level crossing in the center of Seoul, the South Korean capital.

During the night, workers detected signs of instability in the structure and suspended demolition on Tuesday morning for a safety inspection, a city official said.

The section collapsed on Tuesday afternoon local time while safety inspectors were inside the supporting structure, the official said.

All of the people killed and injured were senior city public works officials and a private sector expert who carried out the inspection, the fire department official continued.

The viaduct, built in 1966, was being demolished due to safety defects in the old structure, city hall said.

Source: CNN