Seventeen people, including tourists and anglers, were temporarily trapped and later safely rescued after an offshore footbridge in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, collapsed today (the 28th).

Following the accident, authorities conducted an initial underwater search around the site to check for any casualties, and no casualties have been confirmed so far.

According to fire authorities and other sources, the middle pier and deck of Boritdol Bridge in Janggil-ri, Guryongpo-eup, Nam-gu, Pohang, collapsed at 1:15 PM today.

The collapsed section of the facility is estimated to be tens of meters long. A total of 17 people—including 14 tourists who were visiting the Boritdol Bridge observatory built toward the sea and 3 anglers fishing on nearby coastal rocks—were trapped and subsequently rescued by fire authorities and private fishing boats.

After reviewing nearby CCTV footage recording the situation at the time of the accident, fire authorities found that no pedestrians were crossing the collapsed section when it gave way.

Authorities also conducted a 50-minute primary search around the accident site to check for any potential casualties, but none were found.

Fire authorities and the Pohang Coast Guard are reportedly conducting a secondary underwater search.

A fire official stated, "After receiving the accident report, we requested a joint response from the city hall, coast guard, and police before carrying out rescue operations, and we have confirmed that there are no casualties so far."

Boritdol Bridge is a 225-meter-long offshore footbridge connecting coastal rocks to the shore. Pohang City completed its construction in 2015 with a budget of 11.5 billion won, funded by national and municipal funds.

Citizens and tourists frequently visit the area to stroll along the footbridge or walk across to fish on the coastal rocks.

Although Pohang City periodically inspects the bridge for public safety, it has not yet been confirmed when the last on-site inspection took place.

An official from Pohang City said, "As officials in charge of Boritdol Bridge-related duties are all currently at the accident site, the date of the last safety inspection has not been verified," adding, "We are preparing measures to prevent any additional damage."

(Photo provided by Pohang Southern Fire Station, Yonhap News)