"Saved by Just Seconds, Pure Luck": CCTV Captures Moment of Bridge Collapse

[Anchor]

An offshore pedestrian bridge connecting a rocky shore and the beach in Guryongpo, Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, collapsed this afternoon (July 28). CCTV footage vividly captured the terrifying moment when pedestrians narrowly avoided disaster by just a few seconds.

Here is a report by Yang Byung-woon from TBC.

[Reporter]

The concrete bridge deck instantly buckles into a W-shape and plunges deep into the sea.

A high column of water shoots up from the sea where the deck collapsed.

A pedestrian who had walked just about 10 meters away from the collapse site hurriedly turns back.

It was a heart-stopping moment that averted a major catastrophe.

At around 1:15 PM today, Boritdol Bridge, an offshore pedestrian bridge connecting the coast and rocks of Jang-gil-ri, Guryongpo-eup, collapsed.

[Lee Seon-ok / Accident Witness: The sound was so loud that I looked out at the sea. When I looked, the water was splashing extremely high. So I thought, did a boat pass by and make the water splash like that? But because the sound was so huge, I came outside and saw that the bridge was gone.]

About 50 meters of the offshore section out of the total 225-meter length collapsed, and 17 people who were temporarily stranded on the rocks were safely rescued.

[Lim Jun-woo / Tourist Stranded on Rocks: I was really shocked. If by any chance we had been down there (under the bridge) enjoying the water, we could have been in a major accident...]

A fishing park is established around the accident site, making it a popular spot frequented by anglers and tourists alike.

Because of this, fire authorities and the Coast Guard conducted multiple underwater searches, but there were no casualties.

The issue is the cause of the accident.

The collapsed bridge was completed in 2013, received a grade C safety rating in a 2024 safety inspection, and underwent reinforcement work on some of its decks and piers last year.

Having collapsed helplessly just one year after completing the reinforcement work, strong suspicions of shoddy construction are being raised.

The city of Pohang has closed offshore bridges and similar marine facilities built within its jurisdiction and launched safety inspections.

(Video by Ko Dae-seung / TBC, Provided by Viewer)

Yang Byung-woon, TBC
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.