An offshore footbridge in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, collapsed today (the 28th), leaving 17 anglers temporarily stranded before all were safely rescued.

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

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

The collapsed section of the facility is estimated to be tens of meters long. Seventeen anglers who had visited the rock formations near the Boritdol Bridge observatory built on the sea side were temporarily stranded and subsequently rescued by fire authorities and private fishing boats.

After reviewing closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage capturing the situation at the time of the accident, fire authorities determined that no pedestrians were crossing the collapsed section when it gave way.

In fact, a 1-10-minute CCTV video of the accident reviewed by media outlets earlier today showed a man in a white shirt walking across Boritdol Bridge just before the collapse, but he had not reached the accident site when parts of the structure crumpled and collapsed like paper.

Authorities conducted an initial search of the accident site for about 50 minutes after the incident to check for any potential casualties, but no dead or injured individuals were found.

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

A fire official stated, "Upon receiving the accident report, we requested a joint response from the city hall, coast guard, and police, and carried out rescue operations," adding, "We have found no casualties so far."

Boritdol Bridge is a 225-meter-long offshore footbridge connecting rock formations to the coastline. Pohang City completed its construction in 2013 with a budget of 11.5 billion won from national and municipal funds.

Citizens and tourists usually visit the location to take a walk on the footbridge or walk across to reach the rocks for fishing.

Between February and May 2024, Pohang City commissioned an external company to conduct a safety inspection to check for damage and aging on the bridge and formulate repair and reinforcement plans.

As a result, the bridge received a Grade C safety rating, which falls under the "fair" category. The following year, Pohang City carried out repair work on the bridge railings and deck.

Furthermore, while conducting a detailed safety diagnosis of the observatory facility at the far end of the bridge toward the sea earlier this year, the external service provider advised that a structural stability evaluation of Boritdol Bridge was also necessary. Consequently, starting last May, banners were installed around the 110-meter midpoint to notify the public of entry restrictions.

As a result, pedestrian access for citizens and tourists had been permitted from the entrance of Boritdol Bridge up to the midpoint where the banner was placed, while the subsequent section leading to the observatory remained off-limits.

Pohang City officials stated, "We did not deploy separate personnel to enforce the access restrictions, but instead installed banners," adding, "While the access restriction measure [for certain sections] remains in effect, it appears that the anglers used the bridge to reach the rocks."

They further noted, "We will conduct a comprehensive inspection of similar bridges within the region and take necessary measures," and added, "The damaged bridge will also be demolished as soon as possible."

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