A decades-old overpass in central Seoul collapsed on 26 May, killing three people and sending debris onto a nearby railway line, authorities confirmed. The accident occurred in the Seodaemun district — a densely built area in the western part of the South Korean capital — during an ongoing safety inspection of the structure.

Workers had detected a 2-centimetre subsidence in the overpass earlier in the day and had already suspended construction operations as a precaution. Officials from the Seoul Metropolitan Government said the inspection began at 14:00 local time, shortly before concrete slabs and debris suddenly gave way, crushing workers below. Images from the scene showed twisted steel beams hanging over damaged vehicles as police sealed off surrounding roads.

The overpass was originally built in 1966 and had been under planned demolition since August 2025 due to safety concerns linked to its ageing structure. The collapse underscores the risks involved in dismantling ageing urban infrastructure, particularly in a densely populated city where such structures sit close to active transport networks. Some debris fell onto a nearby railway line, prompting the Korea Railroad Corporation to suspend part of its services to Seoul Station, the capital's main rail hub, causing significant disruption to commuters.

Authorities have opened an investigation into the precise cause of the collapse. Rescue teams worked to secure the unstable site and assess what remained of the structure. The incident raises broader questions about the management and safe demolition of ageing overpasses and bridges across South Korea, many of which were built rapidly during the country's industrialisation period in the 1960s and 1970s and are now reaching the end of their operational lifespans.

No figures on the number of injured were immediately confirmed beyond the three fatalities, and investigators have not yet indicated whether procedural failures or structural factors were primarily responsible for the sudden collapse.